BLJaR Meet Anastasia
by Pooh's Adventures Fanatic
Summary: The last surviving child of the Russian Royal Family and her closest companion hooks up with two adventure teams and two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the undead Rasputin and a revenge-crazed assassin seek their deaths.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

*The story opens with a tiny music box, playing a soothing melody inside a single room. The music box itself, though tiny in appearance, shows two figures dancing hand-in-hand (A man and a woman, the former the Tsar) along a single picture of a swan at the back. As the song ends, the golden music box with a hint of green on top slowly closes and is lifted inside a small purse by a woman. Dressed in full evening clothes, she was the Empress Marie, who steps inside the carriage as the footman signals the Cossack horses to race through the streets as if making way for a rather important engagement*

Empress Marie: *off-screen* There was a time, not very long ago, when we lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties.

*The carriage itself rides through the streets till it reaches a palace far grand than any during it's time, the palace of the Tsar. The palace is lit up with opulently dressed partygoers streaming inside, a few bow as Marie's carriage pulls up towards the steps leading into the castle.

Empress Marie: *off-screen* The year was 1916, and my son Nicholas, was the Tsar of Imperial Russia.

*Inside the Catherine Palace, elegant royalists, in 17th century costumes, waltz in the main hall as an Orchestra plays. Nicholas himself dances along with Anastasia, his eight year old daughter, deemed both graceful and spirited. Both father and daughter are the couple of the Monet - all eyes adore them, but none more so than the Empress herself*

Empress Marie: Hello darling.

Empress Marie: *off-screen* We were celebrating the three hundredth anniversary of our family's rule…

Nicholas: *laughter*

Anastasia: Oh papa!

Empress Marie: *off-screen* …and that night, no star burned brighter than that of our sweet Anastasia, my youngest granddaughter.

*The Dowager Empress smiles, as she watches her granddaughter dancing with her father. Anastasia, her dance finished, lights up at seeing her grandmother, and runs into her arms*

Empress Marie: *off-screen* She begged me not to return to Paris - so I had a very special gift made for her… To make the separation easier for both of us.

*As Marie hands her a beautiful music box, a servant boy, Dimitri, ten years old, enters through a secret opening in the wall behind Marie's chair, to eavesdrop the conversation between the Empress and her granddaughter*

Anastasia: For me? Is it a jewelry box?

*Just then, a Kitchen servant catches Dimitri spying on them and practically drags the boy away*

Servant: Dimitri, you belong in the kitchen.

Dimitri: Let go!

*Unnoticed by Anastasia and Marie, the boy is dragged quickly into the secret door, just as the Empress reveals a special surprise for her curious granddaughter*

Empress Marie: Look.

*Marie takes out a key, a small silver flower on a neck chain. She puts it into the back of the music box, and winds it. All at once, the Music box opens and it's theme begins to play to the astonished princess*

Anastasia: *whispering* It plays our lullaby!

Marie: You can play it at night before you go to sleep, and pretend that it's me singing.

*As the music box continued to play its wonderful melody, Marie and her her granddaughter began to sing their lullaby*

Empress Marie: *singing* On the wind  
'Cross the sea  
Hear this song and remember

Empress Marie & Anastasia: *singing* Soon you'll be home with me  
Once upon a December

Marie: *hands Anastasia the key* Read what it says.

Anastasia: *takes a close look upon a tiny inscription written along the back of the music box key* "Together in Paris." *to Marie* Really? Oh, Grandmama.

*Marie nods and embraces with her granddaughter*

*All of a sudden, a startled gasp from the crowd draws their attention and the room falls silent. The crowd parts before a dark figure, followed by two hooded figures who silently follow him. A bat swoops down, landing upon the lead figure's shoulder, who is revealed to be Rasputin. He and his followers stalk through the crowd, as people fall back in both fear and surprise, the leader crushing a champagne glass underfoot*

Marie: *off-screen* But we would never be together in Paris, for a dark shadow had descended upon the house of the Ramonovs. His name was Rasputin. We thought he was a Holy man, but he was a fraud; power-mad and dangerous.

*Rasputin reaches the Tsar, who alone stands firm before him. Bartok, the bat, is perched on Rasputin's shoulder like a twisted parody of a parrot whilst his two followers stand side-by-side with Rasputin, as if they were his bodyguards*

Nicholas: How dare you return to the palace?!

Rasputin: *removes his hood* But I am your confidante.

Nicholas: Confidante? HA! You are a traitor. GET OUT!

Rasputin: You think you can banish the Great Rasputin? By the unholy powers vested in me, I banish you with a curse.

*Several gasps escapes from all those bearing witnesses to Rasputin's threat towards their proud Tsar and his family*

Rasputin: … Mark my words, you and your family will die within the fortnight. I will not rest until I see the END OF THE ROMONOV LINE FOREVER!

*He raises the reliquary, sending a bolt of lightning to the Chandelier, which crashes to the floor. When light is restored, Rasputin and his two silent followers vanish*

*Through a flashback, Rasputin kneels in a sorcerer's circle, cowering as a huge, shadowy figure appears above him*

Marie: *off-screen* Consumed by his hatred for Nicholas and his family, Rasputin sold his soul for the power to destroy them.

*Rasputin raises his arms in supplication, as a shadow, like smoke in a windstorm, leaves Rasputin, sucked toward the terrible figure. As his soul leaves him, he becomes a skeleton. Then, the reliquary materializes in mid-air before Rasputin's skeletal form. It reaches out, grasps it, and Rasputin resumes his original form, as he holds the reliquary in his hand*

Rasputin: *to the Reliquary* Go. fulfill your dark purpose… and seal the fate of the Tsar and his family… once and for all.

*One fateful night, the locked gates of the palace are crowded with demonstrators. Smoke wisps from the top of the Reliquary, assuming the form of Rasputin's minions, attack the chain holding the gate shut, breaking it, letting the demonstrators pour into the palace*

Empress Marie: *off-screen* From that moment on, the spark of unhappiness in our country was fanned into a flame that would soon destroy our lives forever.

*A brick smashes the glass window of the palace, crowds with rifles storm onto the palace grounds, as the statue of Nicholas the Tsar comes crashing down. Above the chaos, the two hooded figures ready their arrows, dipping the tips with a chemical substance within glass vials. The liquid an unnatural green simmered along the tips, as one of the figures, a male, speaks*

Male Figure: A single scratch will render any body part with permanent paralysis. But once inside the bloodstream, *carefully slips it into his pack* all vital functioning organs will cease and death will be instantaneous. *turns to the other figure* Remember: No Romanov leaves the palace alive.

*The other figure silently nods, as they hop off the rooftops and, running faster than the falling snowflakes, works their way into the palace*

*Inside the palace, the entire Romovov family, all dressed in their nightclothes, runs down a hallway, as the chaos erupts outside*

Child: Help! Help!

Servant: Hurry, children!

Anastasia: *stops in her tracks* My music box!

*Marie tries to stop her from running back down the hallway to get - But is unable to do so. Still, determined that her granddaughter is safe, she follows her*

Empress Marie: Anastasia! Come back! Come back! Anastasia!

*Before long, Anastasia rushes back into her bedroom to grab her music box, just as Marie got inside. Rifle shots and an explosion are heard in the background, as Dimitri bursts in from the wall panel. Bartok lands on a window sill, peering through to see the figures inside*

Marie: Please hurry!

Dimitri: *approaches the two* Come this way, out the servants quarters.

*A loud rifle shot fires out, drawing closer and closer*

Empress Marie: Hurry, Anastasia!

*Marie enters the secret doorway, as Dimitri shoves Anastasia behind her. By accident, he knocks the music box out of her hand*

Bartok: *alarmed, watches Anastasia and Marie escape* Rasputin, she's getting away!

Anastasia: My music box.

Dimitri: Go, go!

*Dimitrie pushes Anastasia through, just as angry revolutionaries burst in through the door. He slams the panel shut and puts in body in front of it. Bartok, seeing Anastasia and Marie escape, flies off looking for Rasputin and his hired hands, as the revolutionaries confront the servant*

Guard: Comrades, in here.

*A huge revolutionary approaches Dimitri*

Guard: Where are they, boy?

*With the boy refusing to respond, the guard knocks him to the floor with the butt of his rifle. Dimitri lies unconscious on the floor, next to Anastasia's music box*

*Outside on this cold winter's night, running across a frozen river, with the palace in flames behind them, Marie is running with Anastasia across the ice. It is very cold, the women are not dressed for it. But still, they run as if their lives depended on it, passing under a bridge*

Anastasia: Grandmama!

Empress Marie: Keep up with me, darling!

*The little girl looks behind her and gasps, as Rasputin leaps down upon them from atop the bridge, landing hard on the ice, grabbing a hold of Anastasia's ankle and refusing to let go. Marie sees the evil holy man, just as the two assassins jump down from the burning palace rooftops. Their hoods suddenly fall back upon impact, revealing themselves to be anthropomorphic Snow Leopards, one male and female. In their hands, they hold massive bows and a quiver of the poisoned arrows and slowly approach the two*

Empress Marie: Rasputin!

Anastasia: Let me go, please!

Rasputin: You'll never escape us, child. Never! *turns to the Leopards* Nychus, Lilya! Finish her where she lays!

Nychus: As you command. *looks to Lilya* Lilya, this is what you've trained for.

*Lilya, an arrow notched along her bow, aimed at the frightened child, stands there aiming the arrow towards her. But something started to trouble the Snow Leopard, as if she was starting to have second thoughts as she looked into the child's eyes*

Nychus: *confused, impatient* What are you waiting for? Kill her where she lays!

Lilya: *finally speaks* Sir… I was not trained to kill a child.

Nychus: Do it, or face the penalty. You were trained to follow orders. Now… *points to the child* Do it!

*Lilya looks at Nychus, then Anastasia, thinking about whether she should carry out orders or not. she slowly lowers her arrow*

Lilya: No. It's just not right for me to kill such an innocent child, even a Romanov.

Nychus: *can no longer wait* FINE! *pulls apart his hood, takes out a massive sword* I'll do it myself!

*Nychus raises his sword with the intent to kill, but finally Lilya could no longer hold back*

Lilya: NO!

*Taking the arrow in her hand, Lilya swipes the Snow Leopard's face with the poisoned arrow. Nychus screams and holds the right side of his face, as he can feel the poison burning across his face. As his face starts to steam up, he lands violently onto the ice causing the frozen river to crack. The ice suddenly breaks apart beneath them, Nychus turns to Lilya, who stands in shock, and angrily mutters his seemingly last words towards her*

Nychus: "Proditores morte." *Death to Traitors*

*Suddenly, the ice collapses underneath the Snow Leopard, Nychus stares at Lilya angrily as his body splashes against the freezing water and slowly sinks beneath. By then, Anastasia kicks Rasputin's grasp off*

Anastasia: Oh, let me go!

*As Anastasia wrenches herself free and Lilya makes a great leap away from the lake, Rasputin thrashes about in the water. He starts to go down, he locks eyes with the girl for a moment, his glowing, hypnotic eyes full of rage and fury. He cries out to the bat*

Rasputin: BARTOK!

Bartok: Master!

Rasputin: Bartok!

*Anastasia breaks the gaze and runs away, as Rasputin's fingernails digs into the ice, finding no purchase. He is slowly dragged under. One last desperate hand reaches out of the water, until Rasputin is sucked under by the current. The Reliquary, all that's left of Rasputin, rolls away from the hole in the ice. Bartok swoops down and watches as the ripples slowly fade, sensing his master has finally died*

*From a nearby rooftop, Lilya watches the two flee and slowly lowers her head knowing of what she has done*

*Meanwhile, at a train station, there is mass confusion all around, as people shove to get on the train. Marie and Anastasia race to get on, fighting their way through the frightened crowd*

Marie: Anastasia, hurry! Hurry!

*Passengers pull Marie on board the train, the Empress turns to see Anastasia running to catch up*

Anastasia: Grandmama!

Marie: Here, take my hand. Hold on to my hand!

*Anastasia reaches up, clutching Marie's hand tightly. The look in Marie's eyes draws her emotions precisely: Desperate, frightened*

Anastasia: Don't let go!

*Their hands try to hold on as best as they could, suddenly Anastasia's small hand slips from Marie's grasp and falls out*

Marie: AH… ANASTASIA!

*Anastasia stumbles, hitting her hand on the ground*

Marie: ANASTASIA!

*Maries tries to jump off the train, but is held back by the other passengers. She watches as the view of her granddaughter is obscured by a sea of humanity disappearing in the distance. As the train leaves, Lilya, her hood covering her face, makes a run and stops along the fallen form of the child, Anastasia. She looks up to see that the train has gone too far to reach and looks down upon the child. She leans down and lifts her head, the girl moans while unconscious. She silently shushes the girl and swipes a gloved hand along her face*

Lilya: *quietly* Shh… There, there. It'll be okay. It's all right.

*Then, with her other hand, she reaches into her hood pocket, and pulls out another vial. This one had silver liquid inside, that shimmered as brightly as the moon. Thoughts start to run into her head: The attempted murder of a close comrade, sacrificing her job to rescue a child, and knowing she disgraced herself and her people for committing an act of treachery. So much negative emotions running through her head, so much pain she inflicted, she couldn't bear it. As she presses the vial to her lips, she looks back down on the child and whispers*

Lilya: *whispers* I'm sorry…

*Swiftly, Lilya consumes the vial straight down her mouth. She starts to convulse and shake, the vial breaks upon the floor in the process. Suddenly, Lilya's eyes fade and she collapses over the unconscious child, warming her from the winter's cold as the effects of the potion take effect and their bodies vanish in the sea of humans*

Marie: *off-screen* So many lives were destroyed that evening. What had always been was now gone forever. And my Anastasia, my beloved grandchild… I never saw her again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Benny, Leo, Johnny, and Rae Meet Anastasia"

*Ten years have passed since the Romanov tragedy, as people wait in long lines on this gray, cold winter. And yet, there's only one thing that seems to keep up the spirits of all the inhabitants: A Rumor in St. Petersburg*

Old Man: *singing* St. Petersburg is gloomy

Young Woman: *singing* St. Petersburg is bleak!

Shivering Man: *singing* My underwear got frozen standing here all week!

Group: *singing* Oh, since the revolution our lives have been so gray!  
Thank goodness for the gossip that gets us through the day!  
Hey!

Have you heard  
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg?  
Have you heard  
What they're saying on the street?

Newspaper Man: *singing* Although the Tsar did not survive  
One daughter may be still alive

Group: *singing* The princess Anastasia!

*A Russian soldier on horseback glares, as the people cower*

Newspaper Man: *frightened, singing* But please do not repeat! *closes his stand*

Group: *singing* It's a rumor,  
A legend,  
A mystery!  
Something whispered in an alleyway  
Or through a crack!  
It's a rumor  
That's part of our history.

Babushka: *singing* They say her royal grandmama  
Will pay a royal sum

Group: *singing* To someone who can bring the princess back!

*At a seedy corner of the town, black marketers ply their wares. Some are selling remnants from the ransacked palace. A man named Vladimir waits nervously while Dimitri, now 20, haggles with a scary looking gangster*

Dimitri: *whistles* Vlad!

Vladimir: Dimitri! *whispers* I've got my part done.

Black Marketer #1: *singing* A ruble for this painting!  
It's Romanov, I swear!

Black Marketer #2: *singing* Count Yusopov's pajamas!  
Comrade, buy the pair!

Black Marketer #3: *singing* I got this from the palace  
It's lined with real fur!

Dimitri & Black Marketer #3: *singing* It could be worth a fortune  
If it belonged to her

*Eventually, Dimitri rejoins Vladimir amidst all this activity*

Vladimir: Well Dimitri, I got us a theater.

Dimitri: *grins* Everything's going according to plan; all we need is the girl. Just think, Vlad, no more forging papers, no more stolen goods. We'll have three tickets out of here. One for you, one for me, and one for Anastasia.

Dimitri: *singing* It's the rumor,  
The legend,  
The mystery!  
It's the Princess Anastasia who will help us fly!  
You and I friend  
Will go down  
In history!  
We'll find a girl to play the part and teach her what to say,  
Dress her up and take her to Paris!  
Imagine the reward her dear old Grandmama will pay!  
Who else could pull it off but you and me?  
We'll be rich

Vladimir: *singing* We'll be rich!

Dimitri: *singing* We'll be out!

Vladimir: *singing* We'll be out!

Dimitri & Vladimir: *singing* And St. Petersburg will have some more to talk about!

Dimitri & Vladimir: Yeah!

*As Dimitri and Vlad slide down from the snow-topped roofs, one small group amidst the giant city are all concerned with one thing on their minds*

Group: *singing* Shh! *softly*  
Have you heard?  
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg?  
Have you heard?  
What they're saying on the street?  
*loud* Hey!  
*whispers amongst themselves*  
Hey!  
*whispers once more*  
Hey!  
Have you heard  
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!  
Have you heard  
Comrade, what do you suppose?  
A fascinating mystery!

Dimitri: *singing* The biggest con in history!

Group: *singing* The Princess Anastasia,  
Alive or dead…

Window Washer: *singing* Who knows? Shh.

*Sometime later, at a local orphanage, a woman named Anya, eighteen years old, bundled up in ragged clothes, appearing more like a boy, stands with the fat, balding headmistress, Phlegmenkof, who's pointing down the street. From the window, several orphans gathered to wave goodbye to Anya, and another individual beside her. Also covered in rags, covering mostly every part of her body except her eyes, was another figure known simply as Linde*

Phlegmenkof: I've got you jobs in the Fish Factory. You go straight down this path till you get to the fork in the road, go left - Are you listening?

Anya: *calls out* Bye, bye everybody, *to Phlegmenkof* We're listening Comrade Phlegmenkof.

Linde: Question is: How can we not?

Phlegmenkoff: You two've been thorns in my sides since you were brought here.

Anya: *dragged off* Hey, hey!

Phlegmenkof: Acting like the Queens of Sheba… Instead of the nameless no accounts you are. And for the last ten years I've fed you, I've clothed you. I've kept a roof over your head.

Anya & Linde: *mimicking* Kept a roof over your heads.

Linde: Yes, we know. That's kind've your job, mistress.

Phlegmenkoff: *turns to Linde* Don't ya act smart with me, ya little freak! You are just as bad as this brat, making spectacle of yourself with your strange habits and never showing your face towards the other children. Aye, the fish factory will fix ya up, good!

Anya: *whispers* Linde. Linde! Your tail!

Linde: *turns to Anya* Huh? *looks down to see a gray tail with black spots sticking out from underneath her rags* Oh. *tucks her tail back in*

Phlegmenkoff: *continues* How is it you two don't have a clue as to who you were before you came to us but you can remember all that?

Anya: *holding a necklace* We do have a clue to -

Phlegmenkof: *interrupts* Ugh! I know! *pulls at the necklace* "Together in Paris". So, you want to go to France to find your families, huh? *laughs*

Linde: It would be nice to go to Paris; we've always been curious about it. Haven't we, Anya?

Anya: *nods*

Phlegmenkof: *continues* … You two ingrates, it's time to take your place in life.

Linde: *gets pushed out* Hey!

Anya: *gasps*

Phlegmenkof: …in life and in line and be grateful too. *laughing, slams the gate, as Anya and Linde start off* Together in Paris! *laughs, coughs* Be grateful.

*As Anya and Linde cross the snow-covered road, the two girls can't help but amuse themselves by mimicking their headmistress' speech*

Linde: *mimics cough* "Be grateful, ingrates!" *growls* Oh, we're grateful all right!

Anya: Grateful to get away!

Linde: Think I can I take my hood off now, Anya?

Anya: Yeah, it's safe. It's not like anyone else is looking.

*Seeing that the coast was clear, the girl named Linde removed her hood off and was revealed to be the very same female Snow Leopard from many years ago. Only this time, it seemed that the potion she had drank from way back had worked to it's full effect as she had preferred to call herself Linde from here on out*

Linde: *takes a breath* Phew! It gets so hot under these clothes. And do you know how hard it is to keep this tail of mine tucked in?

Anya: Well, you could always wrap it around your waist and pretend its a belt.

Linde: I guess, then again that would be tough and hard to keep in position. You try growing up with a tail and then you'll see what I mean.

*They come across a fork in the road, causing the two of them to stop. One sign posts to "Fisherman's Village" and the other sign points to "St. Petersburg."*

Anya: Go left, she says. Well, we know what's to the left. We'll be Anya and Linde the orphans forever.

Linde: *leans on the sign* I don't know. Maybe working at the factory won't be so bad. Least will make a meal out of the fish.

Anya: But if we go right…maybe we could find… *looks at her necklace*…whoever gave me this necklace must've loved me.

Linde: *pause* The hag's right. This is crazy talk, Anya! Us, going to Paris…? We've never gone anywhere far from the orphanage and even if we get there, what if we don't find what we're looking for.

Anya: You've got a point. *tilts her head skyward and closes her eyes in prayer* Send us a sign! A hint! Anything!

Linde: *eyes widen* Whoa! Look, up there!

*In that moment, Linde points up to the sky to a set of what appear to be stars soaring past them through the faint sky. They fly a distance and seemingly fade from sight, almost as if a sign had been brought unto them*

Linde: Shooting stars?

Anya: In the middle of the day? That can't be right.

*Little did they know, these falling stars were actually a pair of ships that were just seeking an open spot to land in the fields. As they quickly descend towards the ground, one appears similar to a silvery walnut except made of metallic liquid. This was the Trimaxian a.k.a. Max. The other ship was of a different kind, this one was the Arofighter. Both ships land near each other at a spot where no one is within a quarter mile. Once they've landed safely, the doors open whilst the Trimaxian is more liquefying out*

*Several passengers step out from the Arofighter, taking a look around the area. This was a group of famous explorers/film stars, the Fantasy Adventure Team, consisting of the following: Benny the Beast, Leo Lionheart, Johnny the Lion, Rae the Lioness, Xiro, Dagnino, Teresa, Kairel, Bruma, Panthy, Aurora Rose Worgen, and Sunlight*

*The crew from the Trimaxian were much different in both size and appearances, a few humans and a mixed variety of characters. These were the Trimaxian Adventure Crew, consisting of: Logan, Popeye the Sailor, Justin, Bonnie Turnwood, Isaac the Media Hunter, and Loki*

*Once both teams have cleared out of their ships, the respected captains of their ships, Leo and Logan, give a command of sorts towards the insides of their ship. A confirmation seems to be made as both ships suddenly make their way up the sky at a slow pace, until eventually they burst through the air as fast as light and disappear from sight. By now, the teams take a moment to take a look at the area from which they've landed in*

Sunlight: Okay, so where are we now?

Bruma: Or when?

Isaac: Whoo! *huddles himself to keep warm* Jeez, it's freezing out here!

Leo: No surprise, Isaac, considering this is Russia. *looks at his watch* Or more appropriately, according to the Time Omnitrix, we've landed in Russia in the year 1926.

Rae: 1926? That means we're in the early 20th century.

Logan: And it also means we're in Soviet Russia, about ten years after the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of Nicholas the Tsar.

Isaac: Which means things are going to suck… Bad.

Loki: *growls, translate* Least not as bad as your lack of personal hygiene.

Isaac: *firmly* Shush! That's private!

Bonnie: So why did you guys wanna bring us here?

Benny: Because even though times were tough during this time era, there has been this rumor about some lost Princess with claims that her finding will bring about some form of prosperity. But no one has had proof of her existence… Until now.

Logan: Oh yeah, that's right. The Grand Duchess Anastasia. I've heard of that. It's supposed to be one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of history.

Johnny: So… Basically… We're looking for a lost eight year old girl?

Kairel: Actually, Johnny, if she were to be alive at this very point in time, she'd have to be around eighteen or so.

Aurora Rose: What on Earth could've possibly happened to her?

Panthy: Apparently, that's what we intend to find out.

Xiro: We better. *straining with camera equipment* This stuff is taking at toll on my back.

Dagnino: *groans* Can't believe we were actually talked into this!

Justin: So that's what all the camera equipment's for, eh?

Teresa: On contrary, my good rat, why I reckon if we were to stumble upon Anastasia herself, this camera footage will be enough to prove to the world that the Princess herself is alive and well.

Popeye: Lest hopes she ain't cameras shys wence we finds 'er.

Isaac: Are you kidding? It's gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack here! Russia is the largest country in the world, or have you forgotten?

Bruma: It's just too bad the others couldn't afford to join us on this adventure.

Leo: Unfortunately, they can't. We'd be drawing too much attention to ourselves with such high numbers and we already have enough members here as we are.

Logan: *blows warm air in his hands* I don't know about you lot, but I'm freezing my butt off standing around here. I suggest we keep moving and find a town or road or something.

Isaac: Also, if we're gonna go looking for some missing princess, aren't we gonna need disguises? I mean, we do all kinda stick out, ya know?

Leo: You know the drill, Isaac. *turns to Rae* Ready?

Rae: *raises her brooch* Always.

Bonnie: What's that?

Rae: It's my brooch. I use it to change our attires to fit in with the different places we go to. That way, we won't stand out.

*With a snap of a finger and a shot of Rae's brooch, both teams are covered in a flash of light and out from this light, they were each given the garbs that suited the late 1920's, complete with fur coats and hats to keep them warm in the winter grounds*

Logan: Ah! Much better. *looks at his clothes* Hmm… Not bad looking, either.

Rae: That'll keep you warm, Logan.

Logan: Thanks, Rae.

Justin: So, no one will see me as a giant talking rat?

Isaac: Or me as a Night Elf?

Bonnie: Or me as a… Well, you know.

Loki: *growls, translates* So long as we don't look stupid, we're okay.

Rae: On the contrary, our magic enchants these garbs so that every time a person sees us we'll be able to blend in with most of the inhabitants in this time period. To them, we're just a group of traveling documenters in search for evidence of Anastasia's survival.

Isaac: And no one will question your 21st century camera equipment?

Benny: Oh, we never said they were from our time period.

Kairel: To blend in with the late 1920's, we're using the very same camera equipment they used during this late period in history. *motions to the equipment* Observe, if you will.

Justin: Huh… You guys are prepared for anything, aren't you?

Dagnino: Apart from the usual running into the bad guys that always try to kill us or running into some dark conspiracy, we're ready for anything.

Benny: But it also means all the footage will be silent. Sound wasn't incorporated into film until The Jazz Singer, and that won't be released for another two years.

Leo: Right, now come on. Let's not stand around and get our hands numb. Let's head out and see if we can find a nearby town or something. We'll start our work there.

Isaac: Right! Anything to get me out of this snow!

*Finally, with all their matters settled and a majority of the boys carrying the equipment, the two teams proceed through the forest where they stumble upon a seemingly abandoned road, more particularly the fork. But what they also find are two girls, who see the strange group appearing through the trees*

Linde: *notices the two teams coming her way* Uh oh! We've got company. *hides her face under her hood to prevent scaring them*

Leo: *sees the two girls* Oh! Hello. We didn't expect to run into anyone out here.

Rae: We apologize if we startled you two.

Anya: *sarcastically* Oh no, you know? Why would we be startled by a group that just happened to come out of the woods and run into us? Sounds pretty normal to me.

Linde: Indeed.

Leo: We absolutely don't mean any alarm, I assure. Allow me to introduce ourselves: I'm Leo Lionheart and these are Benny, Johnny, Rae, Xiro, Kairel, Dagnino, Teresa, Bruma, Panthy, Aurora Rose, and Sunlight.

Logan: And I'm Logan, the rest are with me: Popeye, Justin, Bonnie, Isaac, and his sidekick, Loki.

Loki: *growls, translates* I beg to differ on that statement.

Aurora Rose: And who, may we ask, are you?

Anya: I'm Anya, *motions to Linde* and this is my friend, Linde.

Linde: *waves, looks down* Hello. *sees Loki, gasps* I-Is that a…Snow Leopard?

Isaac: Uh, yes… Yes, he is. I take it you like Snow Leopards, don't you?

Linde: Well, actually… *goes to remove her hood*

Anya: Linde, don't!

*Linde stops herself at Linde's request and leaves her hood in place. The teams look a little confused and taken aback a bit*

Anya: Uh… It's very cold out here, you know. It's actually our first time outside of… The other place.

Sunlight: Other place?

Linde: *waves it off* Long story, best you don't ask.

Benny: Hmm. *thinks to himself* Must be a sore subject. *out loud* All right, we'll take your word for it.

Johnny: You know, it is a coincidence! This is our first time here as well.

Anya: Really?

Logan: Yeah, we're not exactly Russian. You could say we're foreigners.

Sunlight: In a matter of speaking, we were actually sent here for a very important expedition of sorts.

Aurora Rose: We're from a large film studio company sent here to do a documentary. We were hoping to get to the nearest town to start shooting, but… Inappropriate drop-off arrangements.

Loki: *growling, translates* You could say our timing is as lousy as this weather.

Linde: Tell me about it. We're having a lousy time ourselves.

Isaac: Yeah, I bet- *eyes widen in realization* Wait! You could understand him?

Linde: Uh… No, I actually… Sort've figured. You know, bad drivers and all.

*As the groups were sorting this matter out, a little dog comes bounding up to Anya, grabbing her scarf*

Xiro & Kairel: What the -!?

Bonnie: Aww, a puppy!

Anya: Hey, hey, hey, hey!

*The dog prances a few feet away, barks a bit, runs a few steps, turns, and barks again. As if he's trying to beckon Anya, Linde, and the whole lot to follow*

Anya: I don't have time to play right now, okay? We're waiting for a sign.

Popeye: Boi, tat's mutt a tad excitidable!

Bonnie: Come here, puppy! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Come here!

*While Bonnie was finding it rather fun, chasing the dog, which still had the scarf in it's mouth, he runs towards right fork, stops, turns, and barks at Anya*

Anya: *exasperated, pulls on the scarf* Would you give me that, could you, would you please leave me alone. Stop, give me that back, gi… gi… Oh!

*Anya falls in the snow, Linde and the two groups laugh at this humorous little game. It was then that Anya was slowly starting to get it*

Johnny: I think the little guy likes you, Anya.

Anya: Oh… Oh, great. A dog wants us to go to St. Petersburg.

Rae: St. Petersburg?

Linde: We've been debating on whether we should go left to some fish factory, or right to St. Petersburg.

Aurora Rose: Apparently the dog would be going this way for one reason or another.

Sunlight: How close is it to St. Petersburg from here?

Linde: Well… *looks ahead* I wouldn't say it's close, but if we were to just walk straight ahead from here it shouldn't take too long.

Johnny: Aw, great. And to think that a taxi would do great at this time.

Leo: I'd say we go for it. St. Petersburg might be our best place to start and this film could definitely use some great set footage. Unless… We should start at the Fish Factory?

Bruma: Uh uh.

Panthy: NO way!

Kairel: Same here.

Dagnino: Definitely no fish for me.

Linde: *stands up* Well, I'm up for it. *to Anya* Anya?

Anya: *glances skyward for a moment* Okay… I can take a hint.

Leo: Right then. *looks ahead* Onward and forwards then, lads!

*As the group make their way down the road to St. Petersburg, they turn to see Anya, who is about to take her first step towards St. Petersburg*

Anya: *singing* Heart, don't fail me now  
Courage, don't desert me  
Don't turn back now that we're here

Linde: *singing* People always say  
Life is full of choices  
No one ever mentions fear

Anya: *singing* Or how the world can seem so vast  
On this journey…to the past

*Anya picks the dog up and make their way down the road, recovering from a speeding carriage that forced them off the road at some point. Even so, Anya and Linde kept their spirits high through song*

Anya: *singing* Somewhere down this road  
I know someone's waiting

Linde: *singing* Years of dreams just can't be wrong!

Anya: *singing* Arms will open wide

Linde: *singing* We'll be safe and wanted

Anya & Linde: *singing* Finally home where we belong.  
Well, starting now, we're learning fast  
On this journey…to the past

*On their way down the road, the group stumbled upon a house living alongside the road. They stopped for a moment to watch as the children played with the puppy that accompanied them and smiled at this tender moment. But eventually, they said their goodbyes as they continued their still long journey towards the city and possible to Anya and Linde's future*

Anya: *singing* Home, Love, Family  
There was once a time  
I must have had them too

Linde: *singing* Home, Love, Family  
I will never be complete  
Until we find you…

Anya: *singing* One step at a time,  
One hope, then another

Linde: *singing* Who knows where this road may go

Anya: *singing* Back to who I was  
On to find my future

Linde: *singing* Things my heart still needs to know

Anya: *singing* Yes, let this be a sign!

Linde: *singing* Let this road be ours!

Anya & Linde: *singing* Let it lead us to our past  
And bring us home…  
At last!

*And as they stopped along a hill top, the group looked in amazed as the city of St. Petersburg stood in all it's glory before them, the city shining like gold in the sky. All the possibilities, the start of something grand, and a journey that could change their lives, and it was all theirs once they took their first step to St. Petersburg*

Johnny: Everyone… This is going to be the start of a beautiful…acquaintanceship.


	3. Chapter 3

*That same day, at the Bureau of Bureaucracy, the two adventure teams, Linde, Anya, and Pooka step up to a window for tickets to their intended destination: Paris*

Anya: *to the Ticket Agent* One ticket to Paris, please.

Ticket Agent: *gruffly* Exit visa?

Kairel: Exit visa?

Popeye: Wat ta hex an exit visa?

Johnny: Uh… Is that cash or charge?

Ticket Agent: No exit visa, NO TICKET!

*The ticket agent hands a Lunch Break sign on his booth, and slams his shutters in the groups' face. The entire row of ticket agents do likewise*

Sunlight: Sheesh. Rude much?

Logan: Lousy communists.

Anya: Oh, hmm.

Dagnino: Well this is just great! Now what do we do?

*A sweeper woman with her broom approaches Anya, Linde, and the two teams*

Sweeper Woman: *whispering* Psst. See Dimitri. He can help.

Linde: Where can we find this Dimitri?

Sweeper Woman: At the old palace, but you didn't hear it from me.

Anya: Oh.

Sweeper Woman: Go, go, go, go.

Xiro: Right, we won't say a word. Thank you, though.

Anya: Hmm, Dimitri.

Bruma: Guys, do you think we can trust that this Dimitri can get us tickets to Paris?

Justin: Well, what other choice do we have?

Benny: I have actually been rather curious about the old palace, myself. It be a great place to set the mood for our film.

Panthy: It's either we stay here and get bashed for not having an exit whatever, or find him.

*Meanwhile, at the theater, Dimitri and Vladimir are sitting at a large table. On top are stacks of Resume's and 8x10 glossies. Dimitri has an enormously long list of names in front of him, a roster, that spills out onto the floor in front of him*

Dimitri: Nice, nice, very nice, yeah…

Actress: *off-screen* And I look like a princess, and I dance like a feather.

Dimitri: *continued* … Okay, hmm, thank you, thank you. Next please!

*The last Anastasia wannabe steps into the spotlight on the stage, and judging by her appearance she clearly did not fit the role they sought*

Ludmilla: *in a husky, sultry voice* Grandma, it's me, Anastasia…

*Dimitri and Vladimir's amazement at the sight were quickly dropped to utter disappointment. Vladimir groans, putting his head down on the table, while Dimitri could barely describe how he felt with this performance*

Dimitri: *to himself* Oh, brother.

*Later that day, Dimitri and Vladimir had just left the theater, heading down the streets of St. Petersburg. Judging by the amount of resumes they've received and the auditions made during that day, these two were nowhere close to finding the right girl to play the role of the Grand Duchess Anastasia*

Vladimir: That's it, Dimitri. Game over. Our last kopeck gone for this flea-infested theater, and still no girl to pretend to be Anastasia! *tosses the papers in frustration*

Dimitri: We'll find her, Vlad. She's here somewhere, right under our noses. *grabs Vladimir as Anya and her friends walk by, pulling out the music box* Don't forget, one look at this jewelry box and the Empress will think we've brought the real Anastasia…

Anya: *to a stranger* We're looking for the Catherine… *Dimitri bumps into her* Excuse me.

Dagnino: *turns briefly* Watch it, bub.

Anya: *continues* … Do you know where that is?

Dimitri: *continued* … And before she catches on, we'll be off spending the ten million rubles.

Stranger: *off-screen* There's nothing there. No, no there's no one living there, go on.

*Anya and the others arrive at the Catherine Palace front entrance. They cautiously move in towards the boarded up doorway*

Rae: Wow… So this is the famous Catherine Palace. It certainly is big.

Bonnie: Are you guys getting this right now?

Leo: *cranks the camera handle* Oh, I'm getting something all right. I recall that there used to be parties so big that the whole kingdom had no reason not to attend this place. And long before that tragic revolution, as well.

Logan: Isn't this place a museum in the 21st century?

Johnny: This place must've been something in our time period. Then again, I'm not all thrilled with museums… Except if the exhibits were to come alive.

Dagnino: You watch too many movies, Johnny.

Justin: If only there was some way we can get inside the palace. *motions to the boards* Judging by appearance, it seemed like this city intended for no one to come in and ruin a legacy they'll someday attempt to restore.

*Pooka suddenly runs through an opening at the bottom of the door. Anya and Linde go to the door, calling for Pooka. Anya tries to look in between the boards, looking for Pooka inside*

Bonnie: Pooka, where you going?

Anya: Pooka, Pooka where are you?

Linde: Come on, let's try to pry her loose a bit.

*Nodding, the team struggle to pull on the board, which suddenly comes loose causing the group to fallback with a crash, those with the cameras kept their equipment intact so as not to ruin any of their footage*

*Inside the palace, Vladimir and Dimitri are eating when Dimitri is startled by the noise and stands up*

Dimitri: Did you hear something?

Vlad: Mmm, no.

*Anya and the group enter the vestibule of the Catherine Palace, Xiro and Dagnino keeping a good grip on their equipment while Pooka follows close behind. Settling inside, the group casually remove their scarves and heavy winter clothing, as Anya and Linde crosses the floor to the stairs, looking back towards the entrance hearing a noise. Thinking that it was just the winter air, the group climb the steps following the girls. By then, Anya and Linde are on the second floor turning a corner till they head toward a large palace open door*

Anya: Hello! Anybody home?

Isaac: Wow… Can you believe it? We are actually standing inside the Catherine Palace, the official residence of the Russian monarchs!

Rae: Can you imagine what it must've been like to live here?

Teresa: Not bad for a place that's only been abandoned for ten years in this period.

*Later, Anya, Linde and the two teams travel up the stairs an enter a partially destroyed room*

Logan: *spots something* Hey, guys, look! *picks up a jeweled egg that was sitting on a table* Do you know what this is?

Popeye: Uh… Some fancy jeweled egg?

Logan: A Fabergé egg, Popeye! These were popular Easter presents back in the day. This one's an 'Imperial' Fabergé egg, made just for the royal family. These eggs are worth millions in the 21st century!

Loki: *growls, translates* Too bad it's not good enough to eat.

Leo: Wow, good eye, Logan!

Logan: Thanks.

Benny: All the same, you better leave it where you found it. One thing we don't do in time travel is take things from the past that don't belong to us.

Logan: Yeah, right, okay. *puts the egg back down* We could at least get a picture of it.

Leo: Right. *turns to Xiro* Xiro, see if you can get a shot of this.

Xiro: Already on it. *puts the camera down, takes a picture of the egg*

Justin: *looks around* Amazing! It's like walking into a history book…

Bonnie: *looks around* More like walking into a fairy tale.

Aurora Rose: If these walls could speak… What do you think they'd say?

Sunlight: Who knows? Old palaces such as this holds many great secrets.

*As they explore the remnants of the castle, Isaac couldn't help but notice that Linde had been awfully quiet since they entered the palace, as if something seemed to be troubling her and yet they couldn't figure out what*

Isaac: Linde, are you all right?

Linde: *as if she blacked out* Huh? Oh, yes. I'm quite all right. It's just… It feels kind've uneasy being here, that's all.

Rae: Why's that?

Linde: *pause* It's nothing. Just the winter air, I suppose. I'll be all right.

*Anya bends down to inspect half of a broken plate. The instant she touches it she sees a vision from her past, startling her for a moment. She soon walks toward a large vase, painted with dancing bears*

Anya: Bowls, plates, hmm…

Johnny: Something caught your eye, Anya?

Anya: This place. It's-It's like a memory from a dream.

*The two groups are curious as Anya begins to sing*

Anya: *singing* Dancing bears,  
Painted wings,  
Things I almost remember  
And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

*Confused, the group follow Anya, with Linde close-by, the girls wander to the top of a huge staircase, which leads down to the once grand ballroom. She stops at a large landing halfway down the steps*

Anya: *singing* Someone holds me safe and warm,  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory…

*Anya is taken by the picture of the Romonov family, the moonlight hits the portrait with a ghostly glow. As she signs, she imagines the ballroom as it might have been, seen only through her mind as she sees it transform to its one splendid glory. Even royal ghosts step out of the portraits and waltz to the floor. The group didn't know what to make of it, but Leo was urged to film as if instincts suggest a matter of great significance in this very room*

*As the group watches Anya, who appears to dance around the decrepit ballroom alone, the girl is somehow living her own little fantasy inside the palace*

Anya: *singing* Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory…

Far away, long ago  
Glowing dim as an ember

*Suddenly, the Tsar, Alexandria and their children enter onto the floor and glide through the group toward Anya*

Anya: *singing* Things my heart  
Used to know  
Thinks it yearns to remember…

*The Tsar is now facing Anya, as he extends his arms as if inviting her to dance with him*

Anya: *singing* And a song  
Someone sings  
Once upon a December

*Anya is released from Nicholas and embrace, as he kisses her on the forehead before slowly backing away. Anya does a full curtsy to the father figure before her, not realizing that he is indeed her real father*

Leo: *wide eyed, pause* It's her!

Rae: You mean…?

*But before they could acknowledge it, the enchantment is dispelled by the off-screen voice of Dimitri*

Dimitri: Hey!

*The group suddenly turn to see Dimitri and Vladimir watching Anya and the group*

Dimitri: *yelling* What are you doing in here?

Johnny: Oh crud!

*While the group were practically surprised, Anya, the most startled, starts running back up the stairs to the landing of the ballroom, as Dimitri chases after her*

Dimitri: Hey… Hey! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, hold on a minute. Hold on! Now, how did you get in he-here?

*When Dimitri gets a look at Anya, who is caught in a ray of moonlight, from directly near the image of Anastasia in the frieze, Dimitri could see that the resemblance is strikingly similar. By then, Dimitri's friend, Vladimir, finally caught up*

Vladimir: *passes the group* Excuse me, lads.

Xiro: *raises his arms* What do we look like? Chopped liver?

Logan: Guys, look at the portrait.

*The group looks at the picture, then back at Anya, and back at the picture again. All at once, they slowly started to get the picture… Literally*

Kairel: *quietly* No way!

*A slow smile spreads across Dimitri's face, as he elbows Vlad*

Dimitri: Vlad, do you see what I see?

Vlad: *squints* No.

*Dimitri puts on Vladimir's glasses on him, only then does he get it*

Vlad: *gasps, smiles* Yes! Yes!

Leo: I was right… It IS her.

Teresa: But… How?

Benny: I'm not sure. But let's not jump to conclusions just yet. We need to make sure.

Anya: Are you Dimitri?

Dimitri: *looks down* Hmm, a dog… *hands Pooka to Vladimir* … Cute. *walks up the stairs to Anya* Perhaps, that depends on who's looking, for him.

Leo: That would be us, sir.

Dimitri: And who would YOU be exactly, hmm?

Leo: I'm Leo Lionheart and this is my crew: Benny, Johnny, Rae, Xiro, Kairel, Dagnino, Teresa, Bruma, Panthy, Aurora, and Sunlight. We're a film crew from another country far away from here.

Johnny: More specifically the United States.

Logan: And we're the assistant crew. I'm Logan, and this is Popeye, Justin, Bonnie Turnwood, Isaac, and Loki.

Anya: My name is Anya… *points to Linde* This is my friend, Linde… We need travel papers… *whispers* They say you're the man to see even though we can't tell you who said that.

Dimitri: *smiles again and starts circling Anya* Hmm, hmmm…

Anya: Hey, and wha- Hey. Why are you circling me?

Loki: *growls, translates* Must've been a vulture in another life.

*Linde actually finds that remark funny, though some of the team look confused. Linde responds simply by clearing her throat, as if she really hadn't anything interesting to say*

Dimitri: I'm sor… I'm sorry, "Enya."

Anya: It's-It's Anya, Anya.

Dimitri: Anya, it's just… Just that you look an awful lot like… Never mind… Now, you said something about travel papers.

Aurora Rose: Why yes, actually. Our crew has a very important film project to condone and it's heavily urgent that we get to Paris as soon as possible.

Dimitri: You'd like to go to Paris?

Anya: Mhmm.

Leo: Can you get us there?

*Dimitri gives Vladimir a knowing look*

Vlad: *laughs as Pooka happily licks him* Who is this here? Oh, oh, look. Oh, oh, he likes me.

Dimitri: *mutters* Nice dog.

Vlad: Oh, oh, it's marvelous. AW! I love, I love, I love you.

Dimitri: *to Anya* Let me ask you something, Anya was it… Is there a last name that goes with that?

Anya: Well, actually… This is going to sound crazy… I don't know my last name.

Linde: Neither do I, Mr. Dimitri. I found her wondering around when she was eight years old and I've been looking out for her ever since.

Dimitri: And before that… Before you were eight?

Anya: Look, I know it's strange, but I don't remember. I have very few memories of my past.

Popeye: Well, blow me down! She's amnesiax!

Leo: *quietly* Must've hit her head or something during the siege.

*Somehow, as if fate brought him to her, Dimitri knows now that this is the "girl"*

Dimitri: *to himself* Hmm, that's… That's perfect.

Anya: Well, I do have one clue, however, and that is Paris.

Dimitri: Paris. *rolls his eyes*

Linde: That's right. So, can… So can you two help us or not?

Dimitri: *whispers to Vlad* Hey, Vlad, Vlad, tickets! *to Anya* Uh, sure would like to… In fact, oddly enough, we're going to Paris ourselves.

*Vlad pulls four tickets out of his pocket, neither of the groups realize that are Moscow Circus tickets. He hands them to Dimitri anyway*

Dimitri: *continued*… Uh, and I've got three- *throws the fourth ticket away* Well, this one is- But I've got three tickets here…

*Anya tries to grab the tickets, but Dimitri pulls back*

Dimitri: *continued* … Eh, unfortunately, the third one is for her… Anastasia.

*The group look to see Dimitri gesture to Anastasia's portrait in the frieze, Anya too looks up at the portrait*

Anya: Oh.

Bruma: You mean… You're looking for Anastasia, too?

Panthy: I think the real question is: Why?

Dagnino: Panthy's right. Why are you looking for her?

Vlad: We are going to reunite the Grand Duchess Anastasia with her grandmother.

Dimitri: You do kind of resemble her.

Vlad: The same blue eyes.

Dimitri: The Romanov eyes.

Vlad: Nicholas' smile.

Dimitri: Alexandra's chin.

Vlad: Oh, look. *holds Anya's left hand* She even has the grandmother's hands.

Dimitri: She's the same age, the same physical type.

Anya: Are you trying to tell me that you think that I am Anastasia?

Dimitri: All I'm trying to tell you is that I've seen thousands of girls all over the country and not one of them looks as much like the Grand Duchess as you do. I mean look at the portrait.

Anya: *to Dimitri* I knew you were crazy from the beginning, but now I think you're both mad. Hmm.

*Anya was just about to walk away, but Dimitri was anywhere but finished*

Dimitri: *to Anya* You're looking for family in Paris.

Vlad: And her only family is in Paris.

Johnny: Huh, what a coiwinky-dink.

Bonnie: Perhaps it just might be possible.

Anya: That I could be royalty?

*Vladimir and Dimitri both nod in response*

Anya: Well, I don't know… It's kind of hard to think of yourself as a duchess when you're sleeping on a damp floor.

Rae: Oh sure, Anya. It's every lonely girl's hope that she's a princess.

Johnny: I thought your hope was to find romance.

Rae: That's not the point, Johnny. Besides, I already found it a whole season back.

*From Rae's touching words, Anya seems caught up in the fantasy as she stands next to the two men. Dimitri then turns and starts to walk away*

Vlad: Just think, somewhere… One little girl is. After all, the name "Anastasia" means she will rise again.

*Dimitri, exasperated that Vladimir is still talking to her, turns and walks back to them to retrieve Vlad before he rambles on for too long*

Dimitri: Really wish we could help, but the third ticket is for the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Anya: *sighs*

Dimitri: Good luck. *walks away with Vlad*

Dagnino: *pause* Well, this sucks.

Logan: I don't trust them. Those two are up to something. I just know it.

*As the groups talked amongst themselves, by now Dimitri and Vlad had since started walking down the stairs*

Vlad: Why didn't you tell them about our brilliant plan?

Dimitri: All she wants to do is go to Paris. Why give away a third of the reward money?

Vlad: *whispers* I'm telling you, we're walking away too soon.

Dimitri: *whispers* Not to worry, I got it all under control. All right… But walk a little slower.

*As Vlad and Dimitri slowly walk away, the group turn to Anya, who had since stood alone on the landing, looking at the frieze of the Dowager Empress Marie and a young Anastasia. As she fiddles with the key, Anya touches the portrait, her eyes never turning away from Marie's face*

Kairel: So, I'm guessing that's the Dowager Empress Marie, huh?

Anya: *shrugs* I guess.

Leo: You know… We are passing up a bit of an opportunity in our hands.

Logan: Don't tell me you're actually thinking about taking those guys up on their offer, are you?

Benny: Actually, Leo may be on to something, Logan. *to Leo* Well, go on.

Leo: Let's just think about it for a moment: Suppose Anya "is" the Grand Duchess herself and suppose that all these years the Empress herself has been waiting for the right moment to reclaim the Princess and return her home. If those two men were to help us bring the two together, we'd not only solve the greatest mystery in the history of the world but we'd come out of this as heroes for our duty to humanity.

Logan: But we can't trust those two! For all we know, they could be con artists!

Johnny: Oh, please. If they were con artists, one of them would have to have "Honest" for a first name.

Dagnino: *looks to Johnny* Johnny… Shut up.

Linde: I'd be willing to give it a chance.

Bruma: Wait, you're actually willing to trust those two?

Linde: This isn't about what those two want, it's not what any of us want, or even what I want. But all I am willing to hope for is to see Anya happy for the first time in nearly ten years. Just to know that somewhere out there, her one and only family is out there waiting for her. And if she truly is the Grand Duchess Anastasia… I couldn't be any more proud.

Xiro: So you made your decision on Anya's behalf?

Linde: *shakes her head* Absolutely not. Whatever Anya wants, I'll follow her no matter what. She is my best friend, after all. *turns to Anya* So… Where do we go from here?

Anya: *thinks about it* Hmm…

*In the meantime, Dimitri and Vladimir were just near the bottom of the steps*

Dimitri: *silently* Three… Two… One.

Anya: Dimitri!

*Dimitri smiles, knowing his plan worked*

Vlad: Ha! Right in the palm of our hand.

*Dimitri turns and looks back at Anya on the stairs*

Anya: *shouts* Dimitri, wait!

Dimitri: *innocent* D-Did you call me?

Anya: If I don't remember who I am, then who's to say I'm not a princess or a duchess or a whatever she is…right?

Dimitri: Hmm… Go on.

Anya: Yeah, and if I'm not Anastasia, the Empress will certainly know right away, and it's all just an honest mistake.

Dimitri: Sounds plausible.

Vladimir: But if you are the princess, then you'll finally know who you are and have your family back.

Dimitri: *both laughing* You know, you know he's right! Either way, it gets you to Paris.

*Anya puts her hand out for a handshake. Dimitri, a little taken aback, shakes it. She gives a solid shake; he grabs his hand in pain*

Anya: Right!

Dimitri: OW!

Leo: Hold it! We're coming with you.

Dimitri: What? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You see, I only have three tickets here. One for me, one for Vlad, and one for the Grand Duchess here.

Rae: All right, then we'll buy our own tickets.

Dimitri: *puts a hand to his face, sighs* Look, let me put it to you straight: You're not coming with us.

Sunlight: Why not?

Dimitri: Because I say so, that's why.

Logan: *walks up to Dimitri, grabs his collar, and pulls him up till they're face-to-face* Look here, bub, I didn't travel nearly a hundred of miles in the freezing snow to find some means of transport out of this Communist controlled glacier just be told that there is no way for us to tag along. My friends and I need to get to Paris to film this documentary, which just so happens to be about the Grand Duchess and the royal family, and seeing as you two are our only means of getting there, then we're coming whether you like it or not! And not a thing you say or do will make us change our minds.

Dimitri: All right, all right. *straightens out his collar* Maybe, "just" maybe, we might be able to work something out. But if we can't, which is more likely going to happen, it's just going to be the three of us.

Isaac: Okay, this is getting us nowhere. Step aside, chief. *pushes Logan aside, turns to Dimitri* You seem to be the kind of guy who likes to make deals. Here's how I see it: You see Loki here? *motions to Loki* I'll have you know he is the finest Snow Leopard I have ever trained, willing to attack on my command.

Loki: *growls, translates* Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

Dimitri: *pause* Snow Leopard.

Isaac: Yep! Here's the deal: If you agree to allow us transport onto the train, by any means necessary, we can put an unwanted mess on hold and we won't have to worry about lawsuits. However… If we can't… I can't promise what will happen once I set him loose on you.

Dimitri: *pause* Fine, you can come.

Johnny: Awesome.

Benny: Huh, not exactly the approach we'd usually use, but we'll take it.

Isaac: Great. Oh, and, uh… One more thing. If this whole Anya being the Grand Duchess thing turns out to be some kind of con… Just remember… *snaps his fingers*

Loki: ROOOAAARRR!

*As Dimitri steps back behind Vladimir, the roar echoes throughout the room. Even the tapestries shutter in response to the roar. As they all exit, Dimitri and Anya bicker over another matter*

Dimitri: Right. *clears his throat* May I present Her Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Anya: *to Pooka* Pooka, we are going to Paris!

Dimitri: Uh, the dog stays.

Anya: What are you talking about? The dog goes.

Dimitri: The cat can go; the dog does not go.

Anya: I say he's going.

Dimitri: I'm allergic to dogs.

*As the group bickers trying to sort this out, Logan stops and sees that Linde watching the portrait on the wall. A breeze seems to pass along Linde and she almost thought she heard a whisper, that seems to draw her towards the window. The whisper soon changes into a series of voices, Linde's eyes get wider, as if she were about to black out, when Logan calls out*

Logan: Hey Linde, are ya coming?

Linde: Oh, yes. I'm coming.

*Deciding that it was nothing, Linde quickly follows Logan and the two rush to meet up with the others. Little did they know, that up along the rafters, the Reliquary starts to glow behind a little white bat… Bartok. The bat had since been watching the group since they came in and for a moment didn't notice a change, that is until the smoke wisps ominously appears from its top*

Bartok: Anastasia? Yeah, just one problem there fella, Anastasia's dead. All the Romanovs are dead. They're dead. Dead, dead, dead…

*Just then, a minion emerges from the reliquary, hovering beside Bartok*

Bartok: *to a minion* … Am I right, my friend? I mean how could that be Ana… *realizing whom he's talking too* Aah… YAAAGH!

*Soon, minions start to pour forth from the Reliquary, eagerly reaching toward Anya only to disappear in a puff of smoke inches from their unearthly home*

Bartok: Oh, come on now. Am I supposed to believe that thing woke up after all these years just because some guy claims she's a Romanov?

*The reliquary glows bright, shaking violently*

Bartok: *spooked* Okay! Okay! I get-the message! Enough already with the glowing and the smoke people!

*As if pondering the thought, he takes another look at Anya, who is just far below*

Bartok: *amazed* If that thing's come back to life, it must mean… Anastasia's alive.

Dimitri: Just leave the dog.

Anya: I am not leaving the dog.

Bartok: … And that's her.

Benny: Come on, guys, we've got a train to catch.

Dagnino: Hey, wait a minute, these are tickets to the Russian Circus!

*Suddenly, the Reliquary takes off like a rocket, dragging Bartok with it. They dive straight for the floor, Bartok covers his eyes as he crashes through the floor*

Bartok: Wow! Oh! *groans* Mayday! Mayday! Hey!

*The reliquary pulls him down into the icy water, pulling him further and further down. He hits the bottom of the lake and is now in the soil under the water, continuing to go down. He continues to plunge farther and farther into the earth at such a tremendous speed he nearly burns to a crisp*

Bartok: AAAAHHHH! Ooh! Yech! *groans* Ooh! Help! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Hot. It's hot. Whoa, oh! *lands into the Nether World* Oh, boy! Ow. I tell you what. Ow.

*As Bartok slowly sees that he has crossed into another realm, a figure is crashing around, trashing stalactites, when it sees Bartok in the underworld. As it gets closer, it is revealed to be Bartok's former master, Rasputin*

Rasputin: Who dares intrude on my solitude? Get out! Get out! OUT! *picks Bartok out of the rubble, squashing the very breath out of Bartok's little body* Bartok? Is that you?

Bartok: Ahh, ooh… Master? You're alive?

?: Yes… In a manner of speaking.

*Bartok turns to see a shadowy figure emerge from the blackness. It reveals itself behind Rasputin, garbed in ragged clothes and shedded, graying fur, and one piercing eye in the darkness. Stepping into the light, Bartok is shocked to see a former associate of Rasputin appear: Nychus. Only he was different to Bartok, for the right half of his face was covered by a shining metallic mask with lined patterns etched into its surface*

Bartok: Nychus… You too?

Nychus: Who were you expecting? Tai Lung?

Bartok: Oh, no, no way. Of course, I wasn't, *mutters* whoever that is. *loudly* But still, it's great to see you, really. I almost didn't recognize you, ya know.

Nychus: *remains calm* At the very least, some of us have it better than others. *snaps a finger, Rasputin's eyeball pops out, lands in Bartok's grips*

Bartok: Whoa, that fell right out there, sir.

Rasputin: Something's happened.

Bartok: Yeah! Whoopsie.

Rasputin: I knew it. I could feel the dark forces stirring.

Bartok: I'm not surprised because I saw her- Anastasia… Oh!

Rasputin: Anastasia?! Alive?!

*Rasputin's lips pop off, Bartok can't take his eyes off them*

Bartok: Ah, sir, your lips, they're ah…

Nychus: Humph. So the Romanov brat lives after all these years. Life is just full of surprises, or lack there of.

Bartok: Wow… Yeah, ain't that a kick in the head? I guess a curse just ain't what it used to be, huh, sir? *puts Rasputin's lips back in*

*Rasputin, in a rage, grips Bartok in one fist. He doesn't even know he's holding the bat as he squeezes for emphasis*

Rasputin: That's why we're stuck here in limbo! My curse in unfulfilled!

*Rasputin flings his hand, still gripping Bartok, when it suddenly disconnects and hits the wall. He stops, realizing his hand is gone. Bartok carries Rasputin's hand over to him, as he collapsed onto his bed, filled with self-pity*

Rasputin: *crying* Look at me. I'm falling apart. *sobs* I'm a wreck!

Nychus: *to the side* Suddenly he realizes.

Bartok: Actually, considering how long you've been dead, you look pretty good.

Rasputin: *crying*

Bartok: Sir, you do, you do.

Rasputin: *truly flattered* Really?

Nychus: *dryly* Really?

Bartok: Sir, is the face of a bat that would lie to you? Come on, for a minute there, you had your old spark back.

Nychus: Yes, that spark. There was a time when we had it in our grasp. I, Nychus, was at the top of the pack, next in line to take my place as the World's Greatest Assassin… *starts getting angry* And then, her… That little wretch… *tenses his muscles* The one who had me sent here from the very beginning… STOLE IT FROM ME! *smashes a nearby skull with his palm*

Rasputin: If only I hadn't lost the gift from the dark forces- the key to my powers.

Bartok: *picks up the reliquary from the rubble* What, you mean this reliquary?

Rasputin: *gasps* Where did you get that?

Bartok: Oh, I found it…

Nychus: *interrupts* Give it to me! *takes the reliquary*

Bartok: Alright, alright. Don't get so grabby.

Nychus: *bestows the reliquary to Rasputin* I believe this belongs to you… *bows* Master.

Rasputin: *puts is hand back on and strokes the reliquary* My old friend, together again. *holding it, closing his eyes* Ah, ha, ha! Now our dark purpose will be fulfilled, and the last of the Romanovs will DIE!

*With a flash of lightning, Rasputin began to sing*

Rasputin: *singing* In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning  
And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be -  
It scared me out of my wits -  
A corpse falling to bits!  
Then I opened my eyes  
And the nightmare was…me!

Nychus: *singing* I was once the greatest assassin in all Russia!  
When my partner betrayed me, she made a mistake!  
The curse made each of them pay!

Rasputin: *singing* But one little girl got away!

Nychus: *singing* Linde, Anya, beware!

Rasputin & Nychus: *singing* Rasputin's awake!

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night evil will find her  
In the dark of the night just before dawn!  
Aah…

Rasputin: *singing* Revenge will be sweet

Rasputin, Nychus & Creatures: *singing* When the curse is complete.

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night

Rasputin & Nychus: *singing* She'll be gone!

Creatures: *singing* Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! Ooh, ooh, ah!

Rasputin: *singing* I can feel that my powers are slowly returning  
Tie my sash and a dash of cologne for that smell!

Nychus: *singing* As the pieces fall into place

Rasputin: *singing* I'll see her crawl into place!

Nychus: *singing* Do svidanya, Anya, Your Grace,

Rasputin & Nychus: *singing* Farewell!

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night  
Terror will strike her

Rasputin: *singing* Terror's the least I can do.

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night evil will brew  
Ooh!

Nychus: *singing* Soon, she will feel

Rasputin: *singing* That her nightmares are real

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night

Rasputin & Nychus: *singing* She'll be through!

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night  
Evil will find her  
(Find her!)  
Ooh!  
In the dark of the night terror comes true.  
(Doom her!)

Rasputin: *singing* My dear, here's a sign

Nychus: *singing* It's the end of the line!

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night  
In the dark of the night

Rasputin: *singing, activates the reliquary* Come, my minions,  
Rise for your master  
Let your evil shine!

*The demons are released from the reliquary, scattering the creatures as they rise up and fly out through the ceiling*

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night  
In the dark of the night

Nychus: *singing* Find her now,  
Yes, fly ever faster

Creatures: *singing* In the dark of the night  
In the dark of the night  
In the dark of the night

Rasputin & Nychus: *singing* She'll be mine!


	4. Chapter 4

*The following morning, the train, which is carrying Dimitri, Vladimir, Anya, Linde, the Fantasy Adventure Team, and the Trimaxian Adventure Crew, chugs through the beautiful snow-covered Russian countryside. The mighty locomotive is plowing up huge furrows of snow, as it steams towards it's intended destination. Inside the train, while both teams found seats elsewhere, Vladimir is forging their travel papers. He has with him a box carrying ink and papers inside. Pooka playfully pushes the luggage that supports his own briefcase. Laughing at the pup's antics, Vladimir tickles Pooka with the feather portion of his quelled pen. Dimitri enters the train car with a suitcase in his hands, reaching high above Anya to store his luggage. Pooka notices that Dimitri is about to sit on him, causing the pup to growl*

Dimitri: *growls back at dog* Hmm, Oh, the mutt gets the window seat.

*Pooka settles back down, but still growls at Dimitri, who stands indignant and forces a smile at Anya. Vladimir is snickering at the situation, Pooka smiling and panting ever so innocently. Dimitri decides to move over and sit next to Anya, who had been fiddling with her necklace nervously since they left*

Dimitri: *to Anya* Stop fiddling with that thing! And sit up straight - remember- you're a Grand Duchess.

Teresa: *peers over* Oh yeah, then how is it that you know what grand duchesses do or don't do?

Dimitri: *to Teresa* I make it my business to know.

Panthy: *to Teresa* Sounds like a low business to me.

Dimitri: Look girls, I'm just trying to help. Alright?

Vlad: Hmm. *rolls his eyes*

Anya: *Innocently* Dimitri?

Dimitri: Mm-hmm?

Anya: Do you really think I'm royalty?

Dimitri: You know I do.

Anya: Then stop bossing me around!

*Several members from both teams, who have overheard Dimitri and Anya's bickering, chuckle at that witty remark from Anya, as the former just simply looks flabbergasted that he's been told down by a woman with such a tongue*

Vlad: She certainly has a mind of her own.

Dimitri: Yeah, I hate that in a woman.

*Anya sticks out her tongue at Dimitri, quickly turning back to the window before Dimitri sees her. Course Teresa, Panthy, and Bruma, who joined up later, took great offense to that*

Teresa, Panthy & Bruma: Well, I never! *punch his shoulder simultaneously*

*Vladimir exchanges forged papers for score card showing the following: Dimitri 3, Anya 30*

*As the train travels down the tracks, past a beautiful landscape with falling snow, Linde had been watching this beautiful scene in her own cabin. Just then, a whistle draws her attention towards her door as Isaac stands by leaning on the doorway*

Isaac: *motions to an empty seat* Is this seat taken?

Linde: *notices Isaac* Um… No, it's not.

Isaac: Great. *turns, whistles*

*Isaac is about to go in, just as Loki pounces along the whole empty seat taking it all for himself and lounges lazily. Isaac just glares at the Snow Leopard, shaking his head. He turns back to an empty spot next to Linde. He motions and she gives an 'okay' sign, while still looking out the window. Isaac sits down and makes himself comfortable. For a moment, neither knew what to say and a bit of an awkward silence was between the three… For only a few seconds*

Isaac: *pause* First train ride?

Linde: Yeah, you can say that.

Isaac: Yeah? Yes… It's kind've the same with me, too.

*A pause is set between the two, at least in some way they were talking. Course Isaac just rolls his eyes at Isaac's attempt at a conversation. Isaac breathes in and lets out a breath, just to break whatever silence just built. A thought crosses his mind before slowly turning to Linde, as if he felt something needed to be said*

Isaac: You're different, aren't you?

Linde: Why do you ask?

Isaac: Well, I want to lay out a little secret. I don't just work with films, but part time I'm a hunter. You know, tracking things, exploring landscapes, catching any catch we find, camouflage, and stuff. And we have this method we use when we're searching for something, following trails certain things leave behind. But more notably… We can trace by the musk of a certain being. *pause* I know you're not human.

Linde: *gets nervous* Are you saying…you know what I am?

Isaac: I knew what you were since we met you in the woods. Question is: What do you have to hide?

Linde: I…well…people have always seen me as a freak; an outsider.

Isaac: We're all outsiders, Linde. Think of this as one outsider to another… I'm sure it's not that bad.

*Linde ponders this thought for a moment, finally taking a deep breath and turning back to face Isaac*

Lindie: You're right, I'm not human.

Loki: *growls, translates* You're not?

*Feeling that she still had much to prove, she raises her gloved hands to the tip of her hood and flipped it over her head, finally revealing herself to Isaac and Loki. The moment when Linde revealed herself as a female Snow Leopard, the two were silent for a bit. But Isaac seemed overall satisfied, as if he had a feeling*

Isaac: *nods* I knew it.

*As for Loki, he was speechless when he saw Linde's image. His eyes widen big as Linde slowly turns to face Loki, who feels a warm feeling inside, a feeling of which a cat of his nature hardly ever felt. For hardly had he ever seen a Snow Leopard, a more human-looking Snow Leopard, appear… Beautiful*

Loki: *growls, translates* You're a Snow Leopard… Like me.

Linde: It's true.

Isaac: *eyes the two a bit, to Linde* Does Anya know about this as well?

Linde: Yes, she does. She's the only one who knew my secret.

Isaac: *points out* Until today. *pause, peers out the door* HEY, GUYS! We've got another anthropomorphic cat lady on this train!

Loki: *growls, translates* Should've seen that one coming!

Linde: A-Another…?

*The group quickly hurries along towards Linde's compartment, particularly the female members of the Fantasy Adventure Team, all hearing Isaac's shout-out about Linde's true identity. Linde starts to get nervous again and is about to hood herself up again, only to be stopped by Isaac*

Isaac: Don't worry, they're not gonna see you as a freak.

Bruma: *gasps* So that's what you look like.

Rae: So our new friend is a Snow Leopard as well, except like us! *pause* That is so cool!

Linde: *pause* Like you? I don't like being made fun of. You look the same as every other passenger aboard this train.

Teresa: Now, it's all right, honey. I reckon I know what you mean by that there statement.

Kairel: You see, Linde, the only reason you can see us as "humans" is because our friend, Rae *motions to Rae* has this ability to allow us to walk in and out of any populated area as humans through her brooch.

Linde: Really?

Rae: Yep. Been using it ever since we found it in a desert cave shaped like a tiger's head. *pause* We'll tell you that story later. The point is: *motions to this brooch* With this baby, no one ever suspects that most of us are just talking animals, robots, elves, and so-and-so.

Linde: Could you make…ME look human?

Rae: On the contrary. *holds her brooch, a flash of light shoots over Linde, disappears*

Linde: *looks over herself, turns to the others* I look pretty much the same.

Aurora Rose: Not when Dimitri and Vlad see you, you won't.

Linde: *looks up, taken aback* Whoa! You're team has a wolf, too?

Aurora Rose: Worgen, actually. Big difference.

Rae: That's nothing, we also have a Tauren on our team.

Linde: *gets herself together* I can see I definitely have catching up to do. This is all so new to me. *hugs Rae* But I'm just so happy I'm not alone anymore!

*As Linde and the teams discuss this further, Anya sits in her own coach reading a book. Once more, Dimitri enters the train compartment and sits before Anya, who is actually pretending to read a book. He gathers his thoughts and tries to gain her confidence back*

Dimitri: Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot.

Anya: *puts her book down* Well, I think we did, too.

Dimitri: Okay.

Anya: But I appreciate your apology.

Dimitri: Apology? Who said anything about an apology? I was just saying we-

Anya: *struggling* Please, d-don't talk anymore, okay? It's only gonna upset me.

Dimitri: Fine. I'll be quiet. I'll be quiet if you will.

*Anya and Dimitri angrily rebuff each other, assuming confrontational poses*

Anya: Alright, I'll be quiet.

Dimitri: Fine.

Anya: Fine.

Dimitri: Fine.

Anya: Fine.

*For a moment, Anya simply looks out the window watching the scenery pass by. But then, she breaks the silence*

Anya: You think you're gonna miss it?

Dimitri: Miss what, Your talking?

Anya: No. Russia.

Dimitri: Nope.

Anya: But it was your home.

Dimitri: It was a place I once lived. End of story.

Anya: Well then you must plan on making Paris your true home.

Dimitri: What is it with you and homes?

*Anya stands up with arms crossed. Dimitri lifts his legs and positions them on Anya's seat, blocking her exit. Anya climbs on the seat and walks around Dimitri's legs*

Anya: Well, for one thing it's something that every normal person wants, and for another thing, it's a thing where you-

Dimitri: What?

Anya: Oh, just forget it! *groans*

Dimitri: Fine.

*By now, Linde enters the train car as Dimitri stands solemnly at the window*

Linde: Anya, there's something I have to- *Anya runs into her* What happened?

Anya: Oh, thank goodness it's you. Just please remove him from my sight.

Linde: *to Dimitri* What have you done to her?

Dimitri: *shuttering* Me? It's her!

*Anya reacts to Dimitri's accusation, spins in exclamation and moves towards the door. Linde gets spun around, luckily landing on a cushion seat. Anya slides the door closed with exasperations. Mad, she stomps down the corridor. Linde, turning to Dimitri, shakes her head in anger, and makes her way out of the room past Vladimir, who has Pooka in his arms, calling out for Anya*

Vlad: Oh no… An unspoken attraction?

Dimitri: "Attraction"? To that skinny little brat? Have you lost your mind?

Vlad: I was only asking a simple question.

*Dimitiri slides open the compartment door and exits the car, slamming the door behind him. He also stomps down the corridor*

Dimitri: Attraction! Ridiculous.

*Dimitri ends up walking past Logan, Popeye, and Justin, who just saw Dimitri walk by as if in a sour mood. They didn't know what to make of that*

Popeye: *pause* Dids we mist someting?

Logan: Probably.

Justin: *shrugs* Pity.

*Meanwhile, crashing their way through brittle tree limbs, Rasputin's minions navigate towards the train and the unsuspecting travelers. As they rocket beneath the train and the engine, they leave a wake of flames on the tracks behind them. The minions, tiny little green demons, crawl all over the engine and enter it, causing it to glow red, speed up and rattle as if it might fall apart*

*Vladimir, in the passageway of the train, papers in hand, walks past a couple discussing their traveling papers*

Traveling Man: Last month, the traveling papers were blue, but now they are red.

*Vladimir stops to look at the couple's papers. He sees their print is in "red". He looks at his and back at theirs. Turning back to his own papers, he has forged his documents in blue. Flustered, he abruptly turns and makes his way back towards their train compartment*

Guard: Papers! Papers, papers.

Vladimir: Oh. Pardon, oh.

Conductor: *off-screen* Tickets!

Woman: *off-screen* How rude.

*Vladimir opens the door to the compartment and enters, Dimitri looks up to see his friend enter*

Vlad: It's what I hate about this government; everything's in red.

Dimitri: Red?

Vlad: I propose we move to the baggage car. Quickly- before the guards come.

*Vladimir and Dimitri quickly grab their baggage*

Dimitri: I propose we get off this train.

*Above a sleeping Anya's window, it suddenly glows green as the minions pass by. Pooka becomes alert, while Dimitri is pulling suitcases down from the rack and does not see the minions. Pooka looks out the window, he sees flying minions, green silhouettes, flying just outside the window, leering back at Pooka, while Dimitri tries to wake Anya up*

Dimitri: Hey.

*On reflex, she slugs him. He falls backwards into the opposite seat, holding his nose*

Dimitri: OW!

Anya: *rises up* Sorry, I thought you were some… *sees Dimitri* Oh! It's you. Well, that's okay then.

Dimitri: *grabs some bags* Come on, we've got to go!

Anya: Where are we going?

*The Fantasy Adventure Team and the Trimaxian Adventure Crew peer out their compartments to see Vladimir heading past them down the corridor, as Dimitri, Anya, and Pooka exit their compartment. Pooka runs out the door, barking frantically, and runs to pass Vladimir in the distance*

Dimitri: I think you broke my nose!

Anya: *sighs* Men are such babies. *follows Dimitri*

Bonnie: *turns to Logan* What do you suppose is going on?

Logan: Betchya the guards discovered their fake traveling papers.

Benny: C'mon, we better follow them and make sure Anya doesn't get hurt. *follows the trio*

Leo: Right behind ya, Benny. *goes after him*

Johnny: But what about the trolley lady?

Rae: *pulls Johnny's ear* C'mon, Johnny!

Johnny: *dragged by the ear* Ow, ow, ow, ow, sensitive, sensitive, SENSITIVE!

*By now, both teams and Linde have caught up to their four friends, just as they entered the baggage car*

Dimitri: *whispering* Ah! Yes. Yes. This will do nicely.

Vlad: She'll freeze in here.

Dimitri: She can thaw in Paris.

Anya: *to Dimitri* The baggage car? There wouldn't be anything wrong with our papers now, would there, maestro?

Leo: *eyebrow raised, arms folded* "Is" there something wrong with our papers?

Dimitri: Of course not, fellas, it's just that I… I hate to see Anya forced to mingle with all these commoners.

Loki: *growls, translates* He's talking about you, Isaac.

Isaac: *glares at Loki* Shut up.

*The minions uncouple the train from the baggage car. Everyone is thrown to the floor. Dimitri and Anya are half-buried in luggage*

Johnny: What was that?

Xiro: *gets hit by luggage, recovers* Is everyone okay?

Dagnino: *retorts* Define "okay".

Logan: What happened?

Vlad: I don't know, but there goes the dining car.

Johnny: *pause* NOOOOOOO!

*The rest of the group struggle amidst the luggage laid on top of them*

Anya: Get off of me.

Dimitri: I'm trying.

Rae: *feels a tug* Ow! Somebody pulled my tail!

Isaac: Sorry, thought you were Loki.

*Loki kicks his knees out, instead he hits Popeye*

Popeye: YEOUCH! Wat twas tat?!

Loki: *growls, translates* Sorry, thought you were Isaac.

*Vladimir, now at the front window, peers at the engine. He sees sparks and fire raining down*

Vlad: Uh, Dimitri?

Dimitri: What?

Vlad: I think someone has flambéed our engine.

*Logan and Johnny move forward, along with Dimitri and Anya, all seeing that the engine is blowing smoke and fire. Logan and Johnny then climb up onto the coal car*

Logan: Wait here, we'll go check it out. *to Johnny* Come on, Johnny.

Johnny: Oh sure, I'd love to go an explore a burning engine just as it's about to blow up. Why not? *reluctantly follows Logan*

*Shielding their faces from the intense heat, Logan and Johnny jump down into the cockpit region of the train*

Logan: *eyes widen* Yowza!

Johnny: Where's the engineer?

Logan: Must've jumped out when it got too hot! Wouldn't blame him, I mean, everything's melting in here!

Johnny: We'll be melting too if we don't get this oven cooled off! And I'm too young to lose my good looks!

Logan: Right! *summons his keyblade* Okay, aim for the boilers!

Johnny: *summons his keyblade* Step aside, Nestea Cool guy, time for a real cold front.

Logan: On the count of three. One. Two. Three!

Logan & Johnny: BLIZZARD!

*Johnny's ice bolt attack attempts to cool off the burning steam, but his ice power alone gets easily thawed off. Even with the aid of Logan's keyblade, the heat is so beyond the limit that a green ball of fire explodes from the controls forcing Logan and Johnny back*

*Back at the baggage car, everyone looks out the door. Trees are whizzing past them*

Anya: We're going way too fast.

*Logan and Johnny return to Anya, Vlad, and the others, both of them covered in soot and singed along their hair*

Linde: Logan, Johnny, what happened?

Johnny: Feels like my skull's literally on fire; otherwise, I'm fine.

Logan: *coughs out smoke, removes his glasses* Nobody's driving the train! We're gonna have to jump! *goes and opens up the car door*

Anya: Did you say jump? *gesturing to the hundred foot drop below* After you!

Xiro: *looks down* Suddenly… Getting blown up in a ball of flames rather than dying via massive plunge is starting to sound pretty good right now.

Dimitri: Fine. Then we'll uncouple the car.

*On hearing this, the minions weld the coupling of the car so it cannot disconnect as easily as Dimitri thought. The latter jumps onto the coupling and begins working the connection at a frantic pace*

Dimitri: *groans* Come on! I need a wrench, an axe- anything!

Sunlight: *takes out her axe* Then it's a good thing I bring this for such an emergency.

Aurora: *to the others* C'mon lads, *raises her sword* we gotta help Dimitri!

*As Vlad and Anya search desperately through the baggage compartment, several members from both teams unsheathe their weapons and proceed to hack at the coupling, Dimitri having no time to question with their lives at stake. Vlad then struggles to pull a toolbox near the door, as Pooka starts barking. Anya looks down and sees he's yapping at a box, labeled, "Danger: Explosives."*

Vlad: *hands Dimitri a hammer* Here.

*Dimitri joins up with the others, pounding the coupling with the hammer. The head of the hammer snaps. The rest of the team have no luck at all*

Leo: *sweats up a storm* It's no use! It won't come off!

Dimitri: Come on! There's gotta be something in there better than this.

*Anya hands Dimitri a lit stick of dynamite*

Dimitri: *impressed* That'll work. *shoves the stick of dynamite into the coupling*

Benny: *eyes widen* Crud… Everyone get back! *pushes his friends back*

Dimitri: Go! Go! Go!

*They land in a pile, behind a steamer trunk and hunker down to avoid getting hurt by the explosion*

Dimitri: *awed* What do they teach you in those orphanages?

Linde: You'd be surprised.

*BOOM! The front of the car is blown away, as debris whips through the car. Dimitri looks to Anya and Linde with a new respect. The Minions look back and see the baggage car has separated. Growling in disapproval, they race off ahead of the train, towards the bridge. The engine car speeds along, the baggage car not far behind, as Vlad turns the brake wheel*

Vlad: The brakes are out!

Dimitri: Turn harder!

*The wheel comes off in Vlad's hands*

Panthy: *sarcastically* Oh, fantastic!

Teresa: Don't worry, ya'll. We've got plenty of track. We'll just coast to a stop.

*The minions murmur gleefully then blow up the bridge in a flash of green fire shaped like a giant version of themselves roaring out in defiance*

Bruma: *looks to Teresa* You were saying?

Johnny: Uh, guys, call me crazy, but I think I just saw a giant winged demon take out the bridge!

Justin: For once, I don't think Johnny's off! That blast came out of nowhere!

Logan: And that fire in the engine was just to hot to be normal fire. Not even our keyblades could put it out!

Rae: Then there's only one explanation for it: Black magic!

Logan: Exactly what I was thinking!

Sunlight: Which means someone's trying to stop us from going to Paris!

Johnny: Uh, yeah, this is all very interesting, but could we maybe all try to, oh I don't know, GET OFF THIS TRAIN BEFORE WE FALL TO OUR IMPENDING DEATHS?!

*The baggage car starts picking up speed, as it heads downhill toward the collapsed bridge*

Dimitri: *grabs a chain holding down some cargo* I got an idea, Vlad. Give me a hand with this.

*Vladimir loses his balance and falls into a box. Dimitri edges his way out of the car. The ground whizzes by beneath him, as he lowers himself underneath the carriage*

Dimitri: Hand me the chain! *reaches up and is stunned to see Anya hanging out over him with the chain* Not you!

Anastasia: Vlad's busy at the moment.

*Dimitri accepts the chain from Anya, hooking it onto the undercarriage. A crunch sound causes Dimitri to turn, as twisted steel from the front of the train flies back him like shrapnel*

Dimitri: No! No! Yaaaaa!

*With Anya's help, he yanks himself up just as the shrapnel whips by, shattering a tree. They land in near embrace, catching their breath. Their eyes meet, stirring some distant feeling. Dimitri snaps out of it first, glancing back to the shattered receding in the distance*

Anya: And to think, that could have been you.

Dimitri: If we live through this, remind me to thank you.

Linde: That's a big "if".

Xiro: This better work, Dimitri...

*The speeding train makes it way closer and closer to the gorge, it was now or never for them at this very moment*

Dimitri: Here goes nothing; brace yourselves!

*Dimitri throws the other end of the chain out the back. It's hook bounces several times, before it bites into a railroad tie. It instantly pulls the tie, then several more. PLINK PLINK PLINK! Then, one holds. The car separates from the wheel base, turning sideways on the track, plowing through the snow and slowing down. The group get ready to jump, Isaac carrying Loki, as Anya turns to Dimitri and Vlad*

Anya: Well, this is our stop.

Isaac: *turns to Linde, reaches out* Linde, grab on!

*Linde rapidly nods, holding onto Isaac's one hand as he holds Loki over his shoulder with the other. Finally, they all jump, Vlad carrying Pooka, as the engine plunges over the broken bridge and ignites into a ball or fire and steam at the bottom of the gorge. Luckily, they all managed to land safely amongst the snow bank*

*In Rasputin's lair, Rasputin and Nychus watch the following through the reliquary*

Dimitri: *through the reliquary* I hate trains. Remind me never to get on the train again.

Rasputin: *screams in agony*

Bartok: Uh, wow.

Nychus: *shrugs* I had to live with this for ten years.

Bartok: Take it easy there. You know, sir, really, you should watch your blood pressure. My nephew Izzie just keeled over one day, mid-mango. *Rasputin's thumb pops off* Stress- It's a killer, sir. And he's a fruit bat. No meat. No blood, even. *puts the thumb back on*

Rasputin: How could they let her escape?! *smashes a skull to pieces*

Nychus: *picks up the reliquary* Goes to show that you can't rely on magic to do the work for us. This old piece of trash has brought nothing but bad luck to us anyway. *tosses it aside*

*The reliquary flies through the air, Rasputin's eyes go wide in terror as he leaps to catch it*

Rasputin: You idiot!

*As he skids across the floor, he flings his own hand ahead. The hand lands under the reliquary, breaking its fall just in time. Rasputin turns to Nychus, eyes red with fury*

Nychus: *looks down at Rasputin* Nice catch, Ras. Must've been a quite a deal for such an ugly piece of craft.

Rasputin: I sold my soul for this. My life- my very existence- depends on it, and you… *chuckles* almost destroyed it. *grabs Nychus by the throat, choking him*

Nychus: *strains a bit*

Rasputin: Don't you forget this, Nychus. As my soul is bound to this relic, so does your servitude to me! Else I would've had your soul to wander the bowels of the netherworld for eternity, along with all the other damned souls that came before you. So never… Ever… Forget your place. *releases his grip on Nychus*

Nychus: *coughs, regains his breath* If you really want that Anya brat out of the picture, then why don't you send me to do the job myself? I've waited just as long as you have and not to mention I have a score of my own to dispose of.

Rasputin: Oh, I have something else in mind. Something more enticing. Something really…cruel.

?: Well, you won't succeed. Not as long as those strangers are helping her.

Rasputin: *eyes around* Who said that?!

*As Nychus rubs his throat, easing the pain, he turns to see thin trails of smoke heading up from below the depths of the Nether Realm, swirling around a moment before coming face-to-face with Rasputin himself. They materialize in the form of two former members of the Council of Shadows, Ratigan and Rothbart*

Rasputin: How dare you intrude in my eternal solitude?

Ratigan: *chuckles* Quite a temper this one has. I would take your bat friend's advice about stress, it is in fact a killer… Ask any soul.

Rothbart: Now if you two can just sit back and relax, we have an important arrangement we wish to make in regards to your dilemma.

Nychus: Who are you?

Rothbart: I am Rothbart, once the most powerful enchanter in the land! And this is my cohort, *motions to Ratigan* Professor Ratigan, once the World's Greatest Criminal Mind. Each of us representatives of a very powerful gathering of forces brought forth to bring an end to a certain Keybearer who holds the power that is guaranteed to put all our plans at risk.

Ratigan: A meddling little brat responsible for a great many failures of the most ingenious of concoctions… Regrettably, even our own.

Rothbart: Yes… The Keybearer. But, even one boy was not enough trouble to deal with. Instead of relying on his skills alone, he chooses instead to align himself with a group claiming to be "filmmakers" when really their just frightened children hiding behind empty shells and masks just to put themselves into adventures that otherwise mean nothing to them from the start.

Nychus: Boy? Filmmakers? *eyes widen* You mean…the ones accompanying Anastasia and Lilya? They're the reason you're down here?

Rothbart: Quite so… But, at the same time, it still provides a benefit to us all now that we've come to your presence. While we are unable to journey far in the surface longer than our spiritual limits, we come to provide an offer that the both of you seek to gain favor over your misfortunes.

Ratigan: Unless you wish to join our happy little entourage of spirits waiting till their unfinished business has come to pass, you may want to listen.

Rasputin: I see… Tell us…everything. *sneers evilly*


	5. Chapter 5

*On descending from the mountains, spring is in the air. The crocus' are peeking their heads through patches of snow. The journey of Anya, Dimitri, Vlad, Linde, the Fantasy Adventure Team, and The Trimaxian Adventure Crew is seen through a map that highlights their route to Paris across Russia*

Johnny: *moans* Are we going to walk to Paris?

Dimitri: We'll take a boat in Germany.

Anya: Oh. Then we're walking to Germany?

Dimitri: No, you grace. We're taking a bus.

Anya: A bus! That's nice.

*As they make their way towards a bridge, Vladimir appears to be in a feverish excitement over meeting an old flame in Paris*

Vlad: *calling out* Sophie, my dear! Vlady's on his way!

Linde: Who's Sophie?

Vladimir: *lost in warm memories* Who is Sophie? She's a tender little morsel.

Dimitri: Vlad.

Vladimir: *continued* The cup of hot chocolate after a long walk in the snow.

Dimitri: Vlad, ixnay on the "Ophie-say."

Vlad: *takes Dimitri by the arms and dips him like after a dance* She's a decadent pastry filled with whipped cream and laughter.

Johnny: I'm confused, is this a person or a cream puff? Either way, it's making me hungry.

Rae: *sighs* I think it's romantic when a man speaks of a woman in such a sweet way.

Vlad: *throws aside Dimitri* She's the empress's ravishing first cousin! *scats*

Popeye: Wah? I tots we's gonna sees the Empress 'erself.

Anya: Why are we going to see her cousin? *to Dimitri* Dimitri?

Dimitri: Well, nobody gets near the dowager empress without convincing Sophie first.

*Vladimir hums, gathering flowers in the background, as it suddenly dawns on Anya*

Anya: Oh no. Not me. No, no. Nobody ever told me I had to prove I was the grand duchess.

Logan: I knew there'd be a catch to this scheme.

Dimitri: Look, I-

Anya: Show up, yes; Look nice, fine; but lie? *fiddles with her necklace*

Leo: Now, hold on. We don't know that. For all we know, there's always that small percentage of truth within even the greatest of lies.

Anya: Hmm. *turns to walk away*

Dimitri: *grabs her arm* Okay, so there's one more stop on the road to finding out who you are. I just thought this was something you had to see through to the end, no matter what.

Anya: *sighs* But look at me, Dimitri! I'm not exactly grand duchess material here. *groans and stomps off*

Benny: Poor girl. In some way, I can tell just how it must feel.

Justin: How's that, Benny?

Benny: Let's just say that being a beast means there's no guarantee being "fairest in the land".

Leo: *to Justin* One time, Benny used to be a human prince until… Well, it's hard to talk about it.

Justin: Oh. I understand.

Bonnie: I used to be human too, you know, Benny.

Benny: Really?

Isaac: Yeah, we forgot to tell you that, didn't we?

Loki: *growls, translates* You think?

Justin: It's kind of hard to talk about as well.

Benny: *nods* I understand. *looks to Anya* All the same, if only there was some way to improve Anya's self-confidence in herself.

Teresa: The poor thing's got a lot of trouble on her mind.

Linde: Not to worry. Vlad and I can reason with her. *walks with Vlad to Anya*

Johnny: *eyes widen* Wait! She's a Snow Leopard?

Teresa: *face palms* Ugh…

*To the bridge, as Anya mopes, Linde and Vlad join up with her. Vlad in general directs her attention to the water*

Vlad: *gives Anya a rose* Tell me, child. What do you see?

*Anya looks at her reflection in the water. Her face is smudged and she's wearing boy's clothes*

Anya: I see a skinny little nobody- with no past and no future. *throws the rose into the water*

Vlad: *smiles* I see an engaging and fiery young woman who, on a number of occasions has shown a regal command equal to any royal in the world. And I have known my share of royalty. *looks around* You see, my dear… I was a member of the imperial court.

Linde: You see, Anya? We can't just give up now, not after how far we've gone just to get here. Otherwise, we'll never know for sure if you truly are as people think you are unless we discover the truth ourselves.

Anya: *to Linde* So, you're okay that you can now walk around and letting people know you're a walking, talking Snow Leopard?

Linde: Shh! *whispers* Not so loud. Isaac and his friends made it so that I appear human to Dimitri and Vlad. The point is: If I can truly accept myself for who I am, I think you should too.

*Anya ponders her options for a moment, which was very brief, as Dimitri's face shows up reflected in the pond next to theirs*

Dimitri: So, are you ready to become the Grand Duchess Anastasia?

Vlad: *gives Dimitri a stern look* Hmm.

*Anya is still annoyed at Dimitri for not being honest with her, even Linde gives Dimitri a look*

Dimitri: What?!

Linde: You really know how to kill a mood, Dimitri. Honestly.

Vlad: *to Anya* There is nothing left for you back there, my dear. Everything is in Paris.

Benny: *walks up to them* Besides, we've already come this far. Why turn back now?

Leo: We'll help you one baby step at a time, Anya. That is no lie.

Logan: As your friends, we never do. *looks to Dimitri* Unlike some people…

*Anya thinks it over for a bit. And then, she makes her decision*

Anya: Hmm. Gentlemen... *turns to the group* start your teaching.

Vlad: I remember it well- *singing* You were born in a palace by the sea.

Anya: *singing* A palace by the sea?  
Could it be?

Vlad: *singing* Yes, that's right.  
You rode horseback when you were only three.

Anya: *singing* Horseback riding? Me?

Vlad: *singing* And the horse…

Dimitri: *singing* He was white!

Vlad: *singing* You made faces and terrorized the cook!

Dimitri: *singing* Threw him in the brook!

Anya: *singing* Was I wild?

Dimitri: *singing* Wrote the book!

Vlad: *singing* But you'd behave when your father gave that look!

Dimitri: *singing* Imagine how it was!

Vlad: *singing* Your long-forgotten past!

Vlad & Dimitri: *singing* We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!

Anya: *singing* All right…I'm ready!

Vlad: *singing* Now, shoulders back and stand up tall

Dimitri: *singing* And do not walk, but try to float.

*Anya and the girls float, Dimitri and the boys 'sort've' float, while Vlad really floats*

Anya: *singing* I feel a little foolish.  
Am I floating?

Vlad: *singing* Like a little boat!

Dimitri: *singing* You give a bow.

Anya: *singing* What happens now?

*Anya curtsies, placing her hand in Dimitri's*

Vlad: *singing* Your hand receives a kiss!

Vlad & Dimitri: *singing* Most of all remember this:

Leo: *singing, takes Anya by the hand* If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it.

Benny: *singing* Something in you knows it -

Benny, Leo & Vlad: *singing* There's nothing to it!

Leo: *singing* Follow in our footsteps

Vlad: *singing* Shoe by shoe!

Benny, Leo, Vlad & Dimitri: *singing* You can learn to do it too!

*As the seminar to be a Grand Duchess is in progress, the group hitch a ride on a swine cart rather than walking*

Vlad: *singing* Now, elbows in and sit up straight

Dimitri: *singing* And never slurp the stroganoff.

Anya: *singing* I never cared for stroganoff!

Justin: *singing* She said that like a Romanov!

Aurora Rose: *singing* The Samovar.

Rae: *singing* The caviar.

Anya: *singing* Dessert and then goodnight?

Linde & Isaac: *singing* Not until you get this right!

*Soon, the group are hitching horseback rides on the countryside. Trotting through fields and over fences, all while teaching Anya how to properly ride a horse like royalty*

Vlad: *singing* If I can learn to do it

Dimitri: *singing* If he can learn to do it

Vlad: *singing* You can learn to do it!

Dimitri: *singing* You can learn to do it

Vlad: *singing* Pull yourself together

Vlad & Dimitri: *singing* And you'll pull through it!

Benny: *singing* Tell yourself it's easy

Sunlight: *singing* And it's true!

Everyone: *singing* You can learn to do it too!

*During that portion of the song, Dimitri is thrown off his horse, that refused to jump over a fence. Several team members laugh at Dimitri's misfortune, preferably Logan. Onward down the road to Paris, Vladimir, from nowhere, produces a huge chart featuring Anastasia's family tree*

Vlad: *singing* Next, you must memorize the names of the royalty.  
Now here we have Kropotkin

Dimitri: *singing* Shot Potemkin

Vlad: *singing* In the Botkin.

Johnny: *winces* Yowch!

Vlad: *singing* And dear old uncle Vanya loved his vodka

Dimitri: *singing* Got it Anya?

Anya: *singing* No!

Vlad: *singing* The Baron Pushkin

Anya: *singing* He was…?

Dimitri: *singing* Short!

Vlad: *singing* Count Anatoly

Anya: *singing* Had a… ?

Dimitri: *singing* Wart!

Vlad: *singing* Count Sergei

Dimitri: *singing* Wore a feathered hat.

Vlad: *singing* I hear he's gotten very fat.

Anya: *singing* And I recall his yellow cat!

Logan: *singing* I don't believe you told her that.

*Vlad and Dimitri exchange a baffled glance, as they now help Anya learn to ride a bike, something she seemed rather rusty at. Still, the two men and her friends were more than willing to help*

Anya: *singing* If you can learn to do it,  
I can learn to do it!

Vlad: *singing* Don't know how you knew it

Anya: *singing* I simply knew it!  
Suddenly I feel like someone new…

Everyone: *singing* Anya, you're a dream come true!

*And finally, after a long enduring travel, teaching Anya everything she needed to know to truly embrace her Grand Duchess persona, the group finally arrives at port where their ship was ready to depart on it's maiden voyage to Paris. By now, Anya was just starting to get the hang of the new life she soon will enter*

Everyone: *singing* If I can learn to do it,

Anya: *singing* If I can learn to do it

Everyone: *singing* You can learn to do it!

Anya: *singing* You can learn to do it.

Everyone: *singing* Pull yourself together  
And you'll pull through it!

Leo: *singing* Tell yourself it's easy,

Leo & Rae: *singing* And it's true -

Linde & Isaac: *singing* You can learn to do it,

Anya: *singing* Nothing to it!

Everyone: *singing* You can learn to do it too


	6. Chapter 6

*Sailing off into the horizon, the ship known as the "Tasha" carrying Anya, Dimitri, Vladimir, Pooka, Linde, the Fantasy Adventure Team, and the Trimaxian Adventure Crew makes it's way out along the ship. Along the ship's hallway, Dimitri hands a dress to Anya. Judging by appearance, it is clearly several sizes too large*

Dimitri: Here, I bought you a dress.

Anya: You bought me a…tent.

*Pooka snickers as Anya pokes her head inside the dress*

Dimitri: What're you looking for?

Anya: *examining dress* The Russian circus. I think it's still in here.

Dimitri: *doesn't find it the least bit humorous* Come on. Just put it on. *walks away in a huff up the stairs*

*Once Dimitri leaves, Anya holds the dress close to her face, a very pleasing expression can be shown along her face as an idea forms in her mind*

*Later, on the deck of the ship, Dimitri and Vlad are playing chess while the two teams and Linde watch*

Vlad: Check mate.

Loki: *growls, translates* Pay up, Isaac. I win again.

Isaac: I can't believe it. I'm losing to a cat.

Linde: *glares at Isaac* Excuse me?

Isaac: *pause, blushes* Heh. Never mind.

*Just then, Anya appears on deck wearing her new dress, which she had all fixed up for display. Vlad's jaw drops upon seeing Anya in such strikingly stylish garbs*

Sunlight: Ooh, look at you.

Dagnino: Well, look at that. It's better than the one Dimitri showed earlier.

Logan: You look very nice, Anya.

Vladimir: Wonderful! Marvelous! Oh. And now you are dressed for a ball, and you will learn to dance for one. *grabs Dimitri by the arm* Dimitri.

Dimitri: I'm-I'm not very good at it.

*Anya puts out her arms to dance. He awkwardly positions himself to dance with her as Vladimir counts off them into the waltz and then steps back to watch*

Vlad: And- One, two, three. One, two, three. No, no. *stops the two* Anya, you don't lead. Let him.

*With that, Anya and Dimitri continue to dance, with Dimitri leading Anya*

Dimitri: That dress is really beautiful.

Anya: Do you think so?

Dimitri: Yes. I mean it was nice on the hanger, but it looks even better on you. You... You should wear it.

Anya: I am wearing it.

Dimitri: Oh, right of course, of course, you are. I'm just trying to give you a...

Anya: Compliment?

Dimitri: Of course, yes.

*A smile crosses her lips, as they swirl into the dance, at first awkward, but little by little gaining in grace. Vladimir watches them as the sun sets to a gloriously enchanted evening. Soon enough, the rest of the team decide to join in the dance as well*

Logan: Uh, Rae? May I...have this dance?

Rae: Oh! Sorry, Logan, but Johnny already asked me.

Logan: Oh, okay. S-Sorry.

Rae: No, no, it's okay. Maybe next time.

Logan: Alright… Next time.

*Logan watches as Rae joins up with Johnny along the dance floor, leaning back along the rails watching his friends dance along the ship floor. He looks on when Bonnie, who was standing idly nearby, sees the lad by himself and slowly approaches him*

Bonnie: *clears her throat* I'll…I'll dance with you, Logan.

Logan: *turns to Bonnie* Really? I mean… *slowly smiles* Certainly, I'd be honored. *bows before Bonnie*

*During the course of this dance, Isaac and Linde are dancing hand-in-hand to the soothing tune with the others. At one moment, Linde sees Loki lounging along the floor and she feels in some way pity that Isaac's friend seems to be missing out on the fun. Linde motions for Isaac to pause, motioning to Loki, causing Isaac to turn and slowly get the message. He gives a nod and allows Linde to stroll over toward the Snow Leopard, who looks up to see Linde approach*

Linde: Loki? Would you like to dance with me?

Loki: *growls, translates, shrugs* I don't dance.

Linde: *leans down* You mean you've never actually danced before?

Loki: *growls, translates* Tried it once, didn't work out. I never know what to do with my front legs.

*Smiling, Linde lifts Loki off the ground till he's standing on his hind legs. He wobbles a bit and nearly tips forward, only to land in Linde's grasp. The two look face-to-face as Linde holds him steady, holding one paw and putting the other on the opposite shoulder*

Linde: Perhaps it's because it's better to dance when you have a partner.

*Although it doesn't appear so on his face, Loki suddenly feels that warm feeling once more as Linde slowly leads the dance, helping Loki out every step of the way. Eventually, he got in touch with the rhythm and allowed himself to be carried away to the harmonious melody in such a tender passion. Dimitri and Vlad share a glance as they turn to Isaac, who simply shrugs*

Isaac: Don't look at me, I never taught him that.

Vlad: *singing* It's one-two-three and suddenly  
I see it at a glance -

She's radiant  
And confident and born to take this chance.

I taught her well.  
I planned it all!  
I just forgot…  
Romance!

Vlad, how could you do this?  
How will we get through this?  
I never should have let them dance!

*As the dance nears the end, Linde is so carried away with this dance that her eyes close for a moment as if lost in her fantasies. Her eyes open and she can see the same dancers that had been at the night of Nicholas II's party ten years ago, a memory that she did not recall and yet seemed so enchanting to see. She seems enchanted by this moment, as the dancers glide gracefully as if invisible to everyone else on deck. But then, a quick flash of a figure appears briefly, a figure in a ragged, torn robe and a face covered partly by a silver mask, that stared fiercely at her. As quickly as it appeared, it disappears and Linde suddenly stops, lost her grip on Loki, who tumbled forward on the deck. Loki looks up confused for a bit, Linde almost unsure of what to say. But not finding the right words, she steps away with an embarrassed look as Isaac and Loki watch with a look of confusion*

Isaac: Linde, what's wrong? What happened?

Benny: Are you okay?

Linde: I… Uh… *looks at the sun* It's getting rather late. I'm sorry, I have to go. *walks down toward the steps*

*The gang watch as Linde goes down below the deck, just as Anya and Dimitri were gradually slowing their dancing*

Anya: I'm feeling a little dizzy.

Dimitri: Kind of light headed?

Anya: Yeah.

Dimitri: Me too. Probably from the spinning.

*They've stopped dancing by now, but still it feels like they are still going*

Dimitri: Maybe we should stop.

Anya: We have stopped.

*Something soon starts to stir between the two, as if they are beginning to fall into a kiss*

Dimitri: Anya, I-

Anya: Yes?

*Pooka starts barking at Dimitri, breaking whatever spell was drawing the two together*

Dimitri: You're doing fine.

*Dimitri soon makes his exit as well, as Anya watches him go, just as confused as Isaac and Loki over Linde*

Panthy: What's wrong with Linde?

Isaac: I don't know. She was dancing fine with us, when suddenly, she stopped and backed away.

Leo: What do you suppose the problem was?

Popeye: Musta lost 'er train-a-taught.

Isaac: But she just backed away as if something spooked her.

*As the ship faded into night, Linde sat by herself in her own cabin, her head leans down facing her legs and her eyes are deeply closed. Suddenly, the door opens slowly making a sound that draws Linde awake and turn to see a crack grow, as a shadow descends inside. In a matter of moments, standing by the doors are Isaac and Loki, both appearing to show a bit of concern for Linde*

Isaac: Linde, is everything okay?

Linde: Oh…I guess so. I'm sorry about what happened earlier on deck.

Loki: *growls, translates* Are you kidding? That dance filled my heart with happiness. I'm happy to have danced with you…but why did you suddenly stop dancing?

Linde: It's… It's… *struggles to find the words* It's difficult to explain.

Isaac: *pause* Then explain this, Linde. I understand why Anya wants to go to Paris, finding her family and wondering if she truly is Anastasia or not… But what about you? You think you're family's in Paris too?

Linde: *pause* Isaac, can I tell you and Loki a secret?

Loki: *growls, translates* Can't promise that with Isaac. Remember the train?

Isaac: *glares at Loki* Shut it. *to Linde* Go ahead.

Linde: Okay, here goes: *takes a deep breath* I don't believe I have a family anymore. *throws her hands up* There, I said it!

Isaac: Oh. *pause* So then…why ARE you going to Paris?

Linde: Because Anya is my friend. My best friend. I have to make sure she finds her family.

Isaac: *pause* But there's more to it than that… Is there?

Linde: *sighs* Well… I've been having these strange dreams as of late. Every now-and-then I get these brief flashes of some place I am not familiar with or people I don't ever recall meeting. On rare instances, I see what appear to be Snow Leopards that look just like me. Families and friends gathered in some colony, living in makeshift homes, in a world cut off from everything else, all with jobs and looking out for each other. I can't really explain it, but it's like it's telling me that this was the world I belonged to. But then, I only get to see brief instances and when I wake up… It's gone.

Loki: *growls, translates* Perhaps you're just seeing things from some fantasy.

Linde: Or maybe they're not dreams at all… But memories. In ten years, I've never been able to recall anything that had ever happened after that specific period. And even when they do come up time after time… Sometimes, there are some that are too... Frightening. Like when I see myself, I imagine doing something terrible and the worst about it was how real it was. And then… There's someone that always glances at me, with that evil look on his eye. I've only seen such an eye… Only in nightmares. *pause* That is… Until another figure comes into my thoughts. The most beautiful Snow Leopard out of all I've seen, with a smile as radiant as the morning sun or the glow of the moonlight. I want to know who she is or where she came from or how she seems to know me in some way. I feel she's leading me somewhere towards my destiny and I think it's because of her why I have now decided to travel with Anya to Paris.

Isaac: *sits next to Linde* I'm not a big expert on the whole mumbo-jumbo stuff, but maybe it's not the head that's telling you where to go *motions to her heart* it's there. Just remember: The past doesn't truly define who you truly are, it's the present that counts. You are who you choose to be.

*Linde takes a moment to think about it, as Isaac gives her a pat on the shoulder before rising out from the bed and following Loki out the door. But then, Linde's voice calls out*

Linde: Isaac!

Isaac: *turns around* Yes?

Linde: *pause, bows her head* Thank you.

Isaac: *smiles* You're welcome.

*Meanwhile, inside a separate cabin, Anya, Dimitri, Vladimir, and Pooka are just settling in for the night. Dimitri is sound asleep, his backpack beside him on the floor, while Anya is wrapped in a blanket. Vladimir is braced against the ship's beams, not weathering the storm well*

Anya: *whispering to Vlad* Oh… Are you all right?

Vlad: Fine, fine. Just riddled with envy. Look at him. *indicating Dimitri* He can sleep through anything.

*The ship tilts, timbers groaning. Pooka climbs inside of Dimitri's backpack knocking it over and the music box slides out of it and stops near Anya. She picks up the music box; immediately, a sharp recollection passes through her mind. Shocked, she can see the visual so clear: Figures dancing gracefully across her memory. She cradles the box lovingly*

Vlad: Pretty jewelry box, isn't it?

Anya: Jewelry box? Are you sure that's what it is?

Vlad: What else could it be?

Anya: Oh well, something else. Something…special. Something to do with a secret.

*Anya laughs, as Pooka licks Anya's feet with a desire for attention. By then, Vladimir climbs into his berth.*

Anya: Is that possible?

Vladimir: Anything's possible. You taught Dimitri how to waltz, didn't you?

*Anya secures the music box in the backpack. She picks up Pooka and climbs into her bed. Pooka climbs up on top of her*

Vlad: Sleep well, your majesty.

*Vladimir's large body traps Pooka between him and Anya. Anya uses her foot to move Vlad so that Pooka can move. Pooka snuggles next to Anya*

Anya: Sweet dreams, Pooka.

*Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, as Nychus sits in a crouch along one side, Rasputin and Bartok, along with Ratigan and Rothbart, gaze at the image of Anastasia falling asleep*

Bartok: There she is, master. Sound asleep in her little bed.

Rothbart: I must say, she is rather beautiful. Not as beautiful as Odette, but…still.

Ratigan: *snickers* Yes, yes, she is falling in the exact place we want her. Now, to set the plan into motion and soon her spirit will be joining us within the confines of the nether region.

Rasputin: Pleasant dreams to you, princess. We'll get inside your mind, where you can't escape us. *turns to Nychus* Nychus!

Nychus: *slowly turns his eye to him* You rang?

Rasputin: I have a special task for you… I am in need of a messenger.

Nychus: *shows a bit of interest* Go on…

*Back at the ship's cabin, late in the night, smoky images silently slither under the door. They move over toward Dimitri sleeping on the floor, upon recognizing he's not the right person they float across the cabin to her shoes then up over her birth and swirl around Anya. The Smoky images wait for the opportunity to enter her mouth when she yawns, smiling as Rasputin's dream begins as imagines of butterflies appear and circle around her face*

*In Anya's dream, Anya rests peacefully in a sunny open meadow. Alexi, Anastasia's young brother, walks up, surrounded by large mythical dream butterflies. He waves at her and vice versa. He motions the butterflies towards Anya. They approach her and fly around her*

*In reality, Anya's eyes are closed, as she smiles in her sleep and sits up in bed. The Dream butterflies still swirl around her head. She gets out of her berth following them, sleepwalking to the cabin door, which opens by itself as she exits. As it closes, Pooka awakens to the slam of the door and senses something's wrong. Meanwhile, Anya sleep walks down the hallway toward the stairs following the "Dream Butterflies", as the ship pitches violently in the storm*

*Whining, Pooka scratches at the cabin door, crying out for Anya. He then jumps towards a sleeping Dimitri trying to wake him. In response, he just rolls over*

*The ship rolls on a giant swell, while Anya sleepwalks to the upper deck. Shifting from her dream to reality, Alexi and the three butterflies lead her up a rock embankment and through a field of daffodils. Anastasia's three sisters in swimsuits can be seen in the distance. Alexi points to them as they leap to the pool below. Momentarily back in reality, Anya has climbed over the railing of the deck and is looking into the black ocean. Smiling, she slides back against the ships railing*

*Meanwhile, Pooka begs for Dimitri to wake up, as he slowly regains conscious.*

Dimitri: *still half asleep* What? What, what, what, what? Pooka? Pooka, what? *looks up, Anya's berth is empty, she's gone* Anya. Anya! Anya!

*As Dimitri scrambles from his makeshift bed and bursts out the door, his cries awakens the two teams, some members taking shelter in separate rooms. They peer out the doors to see Dimitri run through the halls*

Bonnie: Huh? What's going on?

Johnny: *yawns* What time is it?

Dimitri: Anya's gone!

Linde: What? Anya!

Leo: Oh no! Something bad must be happening to her!

Benny: Then we better find her quick, before she gets hurt!

Sunlight: Yeah, come on!

*Scrambling out of their rooms, the teams follow Dimitri up the stairs, while Pooka remains stranded at the bottom of the stairs. Meanwhile, Anya holds onto the guide line, teetering on the ship's railing*

*In her dream, Anya holds on to a vine at the edge of a precipice overlooking a beautiful swimming pool of sorts. Little Alexi points down towards the offstage swimmers, the family looking up, waving to her*

Nicholas: Hello, sunshine.

Sisters: Come into the water!

Anya: Hello. *giggles*

Nicholas: Jump in. Jump!

Sisters: Come in!

Alexi: Yeh!

*Anya watches as little Alexi leaps towards the blue pool and giggles. In reality, Anya stands on the ships railing, holding on to the guide wire, inching towards death*

Dimitri: Anya!

Logan: Look! *points to Anya* There she is!

Justin: What does she think she's doing?!

Popeye: I hopes she nose how's to swims!

Rae: I don't think she's even awake!

Aurora Rose: She's sleep walking?

Sunlight: You don't think…?

*Linde sees Anya and seeing what the girl is apparently doing, Linde knew she had to do something fast*

Linde: Anya! *runs as quick as she can* Anya, wake up!

*Suddenly, a bolt of lightning seems to strike in front of her and a shadowy figure all at once looms in front of her. Petrified, she leans on the floor pushing herself back as the figure slowly walks toward her. A flash of lightning briefly reveals the figure: The Snow Leopard with the bandaged face, a single eye looming down to her… Nychus*

Nychus: Hello, Lilya… Did you miss me?

Linde: *frightened* Who… Who are you?

Nychus: *pause* You don't remember me, do you? Has it really been ten years? I remember you, just as I remember that night. It was cold, there was a burning palace, screams cluttering the halls… And, oh yes… *glares at her* You left me to die.

Isaac: Linde! Linde, hurry!

*Linde appears paralyzed in fear, as her eyes seems to lose vision. Nychus appears to switch positions from one part of the boat to the other. First in front of her, then walking casually on a railing, to lounging on a sail, and even on a roof inches above Linde, as he messes with her mind*

Nychus: And as it seems, you have already forgotten you're place in the world that I was ever so determined to bring you in. For we Snow Leopards have descended from the great Tai Lung himself, who taught us never to retreat, never surrender. Towards the death in the battle field is the greatest glory we could ever achieve in our life. It was our destiny that together we'd be the greatest assassins that Russia and the world would have ever known… Until that night… The night you betrayed me.

Isaac: Linde! Anya's gonna jump!

Nychus: *looms down* Frankly… I don't care what Rasputin says. *slowly pulls out a massive sword from his hood, raises it up for a killing blow* Time to play… Skin the Cat.

*Linde closes her eyes, trying to avoid the fury in the Snow Leopard's eye, his sword ready to come down with a single stroke. But then, a bright light suddenly shines towards the Snow Leopard, causing him to turn. Contact from this very light suddenly makes him disappear just before he realizes what is happening*

Nychus: *turns* What? *starts to fade* No, no… NO! *disappears in a flash*

*Linde covers her eyes for a moment, until she puts her hands down and before her stood a tall silver Snow Leopard, decorated in a matching silver robe, looking down over the confused woman with a calm gesture and grace. She bends down towards Linde, her mouth towards her ear, and whispers a single word*

Figure: *quietly* Remember.

*Before Linde could comprehend what she meant or even question it, she and the others are suddenly washed up by a great tide that sweeps over the ship. Dimitri is washed up into the crow's nest and suddenly sees Anya*

Dimitri: Anya! Stop! *Anya moves to jump in* Anya, NO! *grabs onto a rope line and swings out to rescue Anya*

*Just as Anya is about to jump, Dimitri's cries suddenly appears to stir her awake. All of a sudden, Nicholas' face turns hideous and frightening, suddenly becoming Rasputin*

Nicholas: YES, JUMP!

*Rasputin continues to grow into an evil god-like figure, as the dwarfed Anya rises on a column of skulls. Flying bat-like minions swarm in a circle around Anya, who reacts in gear. A giant Rasputin demon towers over her on the column of skulls and his harpy-like minions grab at her, encouraging her to jump*

Rasputin Demon: The Romanov curse. JUMP! JUMP!

*A band of flying minions grabs Anya, one's arms are around the waist, right from behind… In reality, Dimitri is holding her around the waist with the two teams gathered around. She struggles, unaware of her rescue from a fall into the stormy sea*

Dimitri: Anya! Anya, Anya! Wake up! Wake up.

Linde: Anya, wake up! It's me, Linde!

Rae: It's us, Anya!

*Anya jolts awake, terrified to see what almost happened to her. Dimitri lifts her to the other side of the railing. Anya, shaking and almost crying in fear, still half in a dream, throws her arms around Dimitri*

Anya: *gasps* The Romanov curse!

Xiro & Dagnino: The Romanov curse?

Dimitri: What are you talking about?

Anya: I keep seeing faces- so many faces. *hugs Dimitri and cries*

Dimitri: *returns the hug* It was a nightmare. It's all right, you're safe now.

Aurora Rose: No worry, lass. We're right here, steady. There, there.

Logan: This is the second time Anya's almost died on this trip. It can't just be rotten luck.

Benny: I think Sunlight may have been right back on the train. Someone IS trying to stop us from reaching Paris… Someone powerful.

Bruma: And this curse she spoke of… Do you suppose it might be connected?

Kairel: I think so. It must also have something to do with Linde.

*They all turn to see Linde, who just stands there with a blank expression on her face, which seems to face the team and yet not appear to be seeing them at all. The only thing that was in her mind from all the chaos that had come from this unnatural experience was that same little word that kept resounding over and over: Remember… Remember… Remember…*

*Rasputin watches the image of Anya and Dimitri's embrace, seething. The spirits of Rothbart and Ratigan watch as Rasputin moans, grasping his head in frustration, his fingers actually sinking into his skull. Rasputin's neck is stretching and starting to tear as he pulls on his own head. Bartok backs away from the impending explosion, just as Nychus suddenly reappears, reeling on the ground and panting hard. Angry, he bashes his arms on the floor in frustration*

Rasputin: *screaming* NO! Not again!

Nychus: *appears, bangs his fists* NOOO! I had her.. I freaking had her!

Bartok: Easy, master. Wow…this is no time to lose your head.

*Rasputin exerts a monumental effort to control himself*

Rasputin: You're right. I am calm. I am heartless. I have no feelings whatsoever. *his head suddenly sinks into his stomach, lying in his own bodily fluids*

Rothbart: Well... At least he's relaxed now.

Ratigan: Maybe a little TOO relaxed.

Bartok: *flies into Rasputin's stomach* Sir?

Rasputin: *opens his eyes, suddenly smiling* I feel a sudden onset of clarity, boys. I'll have to kill her myself… In person.

Bartok: What, you mean…physically?

Rasputin: You know what they say. If you want something done right-

Nychus: *gets back up* Do it yourself. Something I have been saying since the beginning.

Bartok: But that means going topside.

Rasputin: Exactly. *pops his head out of his stomach and twists it around* I have so many fond memories of Paris *grabs a bug creature and twists it in knots* and killing the last of the Romanovs with my own hands, will be so delicious. *throws the creature against the wall*

Nychus: And this time... We're throwing out all the cards and nothing, not even those meddling explorers, will stand in the way of our revenge.

Rasputin: *puts on a royal cape and sprits himself with cologne* Well…time to go.

Rothbart: Yes… Except, there is one problem with your plan: You're a rotting corpse, already falling apart.

Bartok: He's right, sir. How do you expect to get to Paris in one piece?

Rasputin: I thought we'd take the train.

Ratigan: Wait a minute! What about us? Don't we deserve something out of this?

Rasputin: Oh yes, I almost forgot… What is it that you two so desperately desire?

Rothbart: We desire revenge!

Rasputin: *raises an eyebrow* Oh… Is that all?

Ratigan: Not exactly. You see, in order for us to take our revenge on the boy who sent us here… We need to be alive. And at the moment we are…well…not.

Rothbart: But with our powers combined with yours…you could remedy that.

Rasputin: Hmm… I see. But…what's in it for me? What do I receive in exchange for bringing you back from the dead?

Rothbart: If you agree to our demands, provided that we regain the life of which that was stolen from us, I can guarantee a good word with the Council of Shadows to recommend an opening reserved for a man of great power like yourself. Join us, allow us to regain 'eternity' to bring down your enemies, and with the power of the Shadows, the world will all be yours for the taking.

Ratigan: So… Do we have a deal?

Rasputin: Hmm… *smiles* Deal! *holds up his reliquary*

*Ratigan and Rothbart stand in preparation to be blessed with the power of their long awaited return of their life cycles. A great surge of energy emerges from the Reliquary, a conjuring of smoke and lightning floods out and slowly arches towards the two spirits. As it wraps around them, they could feel it's power coming towards them, weaving around them even… But then, they find that they can't escape it. The magic…was dragging them*

Ratigan: Wait a minute! What's happening?!

Rothbart: What's going on?!

Rasputin: Relax, it will all be over soon.

*Suddenly, the spirits started to feel a stabbing pain, striking them down like a rain of knives piercing through their bodies. They scream intense agony as they can see their spirited forms somehow dragged out of them as if they were being sucked towards a heavy ventilating whirlwind of green mist. Rasputin chuckles as he holds the reliquary above, watching the spirits slowly dragged towards his most precious artifact*

Rothbart: *groans* What have you done?! We made a deal!

Ratigan: Why you… You promised us 'eternity'!

Rasputin: And you shall receive it, my friends… Once I have killed off the Grand Duchess Anastasia! Until then, I am going to need your life force to keep myself from falling apart before I get a chance to do it!

*All at once, after an intense moment of spinning around and around, Rothbart and Ratigan find themselves nearing the skull of the Reliquary. Rothbart's screams fade as his soul is sucked inside the unholy relic while Ratigan, being of a much larger spirit, has his top half sticking out of the skull, his hands holding on. He looks around first at the grinning Rasputin, the nervous Bartok, and the intense gaze of Nychus. Seeing that he will not hold on for long, Ratigan gives a sigh of his predicament*

Ratigan: *sighs* Should've seen this one coming… *gets sucked inside*

Rasputin: *looks into the reliquary* Don't worry… I am a man of my word. *looks to Nychus* Nychus, care to join me?

Nychus: *pause* Anything to finally get my hands on the one who stole something precious to me… Yes, we've let them win long enough.

*Satisfied, Rasputin and Nychus, with a reluctant Bartok, stand together as the former raises the Reliquary, unleashing thunder and lightning, crackling above them. Billowing smoke fills the room, as Rasputin rockets thru the ceiling with his allies goes by. For soon, the night they obtain their revenge… Will finally come to pass


	7. Chapter 7

*On an early morning in the city of Paris, located at the heart of this grand city was the Dowager Empress's Manor. On this most particular day, a young woman is doing her best "Anastasia" for the Empress herself, who sits hidden in the shadow of a chair in her study. Her cousin Sophie and her cat, Tillie, stand nearby and watch as the woman attempts to appease the Empress*

Young Woman: Mm. Ah, yes, I remember so well. Uncle Yashin was from Moscow… Uncle Boris was from Odessa. And every spring-

Empress Marie: *finishing the sentence*…we would take the picnics by the shore on Sunday. *leans into the light* Haven't you anything better to do?

*Sophie and the cat, Tillie, waddle in perfect unison, ushering the woman to the door*

Sophie: Oh, oh, dear now. You have to leave now. Yes. Good-bye. *sighs*

Empress Marie: *quietly* No more. No more…

*Sophie and Tillie waddle back to Marie's side. Sophie busies herself with a lavish preparation of tea*

Sophie: Oh, oh… I must say, I'm so sorry. I thought that one, surely, was real. Well, she was real. I mean, she was human, of course, but not our real…

*She indicates a photo of Anastasia on the desk, then sets the tea cup down for the cat. Tillie sniffs the tea, then turns up her nose*

Sophie: *continued* … But we won't be fooled next time! No, I'm going to think of really hard questions.

Empress Marie: No. My heart can't take it anymore. I will see no more girls claiming to be Anastasia.

*Marie looks at the photo on the desk, placing it face down, clearly showing that she has decided to accept the fact that her granddaughter, Anastasia, is long gone from her memory*

*Meanwhile, the Fantasy Adventure Team, the Trimaxian Adventure Crew, and their allies have finally made it to Paris, the city sparkling as brightly as the morning sun. They gather into some old cars once they enter the city, winding their way towards Sophie's house. In one vehicle, Dimitri is giving Anya a last minute quiz*

Dimitri: Where was Uncle Boris from?

Anya: What if Sophie doesn't recognize me?

Dimitri: She will. You're Anastasia.

Anya: It's just that-

Dimitri: What?

Anya: Well, three days ago I didn't have any past at all and now I'm trying to remember an entire lifetime.

Dimitri: That's why you've got me. Now where was Uncle Boris from?

Anya: Moscow?

*Meanwhile, the two teams were enjoying the view of Paris, from it's city to the countryside as they got closer and closer to Sophie's house*

Justin: Ah, Paris! the city of lights! It's so beautiful, isn't it?

Logan: Yeah, and not only that, but 1920s Paris, the golden age!

Teresa: I reckon we've been to Paris more times than we've counted. And every time, it's always one Paris after another.

Popeye: You thinks we'll gets a chance to meets Charles Lindbergh?

Isaac: Heh! We have as much of a chance meeting Charles Lindbergh as we do Josephine Baker.

Benny: Focus, guys. We're here to help Anya, remember?

Leo: Right, Benny. This is a big day for our friend, if we get this right and if she is Anastasia, the Empress is bound to be pleased for bringing her all the way here.

Logan: I don't know, Leo, I still think there's something fishy going on here.

Loki: *growls, translates* Well, what can we expect? Isaac always smells bad when we travel at sea.

Isaac: *turns to Loki* Dude!

Bonnie: No worries, Logan. We just need to have a little faith in this. It's nice when a parent, a grandparent especially, is reunited with a long lost relative.

Logan: True, but I just feel those two are in it for a different reason.

Linde: Whatever it is, we can't let our personal opinions get in the way of what's important. This is finally the day where we all get what we want. I certainly hope it works well for Anya.

*They pull up at Sophie's house. Anya is nervous as Vladimir walks up to the front door. Vlad knocks, as a French maid answers the door*

Maid: Oui, Monsieur?

*Sophie comes to the door comes to the door, gasping with delight at the very sight of a well-familiar old flame*

Vlad: Sophie Stanislovskievna Somorkov-Smirnoff!

Sophie: Vladimir Vanya Voinitsky Vasilovich!

Johnny: *pause* This was unexpected.

Rae: Oh hush, I think it's romantic.

Sophie: Well, this is unexpected. *sees the two teams* Oh! I see you've brought some friends. A lot of friends!

Leo: Bonjour, mademoiselle. *bows* My name is Leo Lionheart and these are my friends: Benny, Johnny, Rae, Xiro, Kairel, Dagnino, Teresa, Bruma, Panthy, Aurora, and Sunlight.

Benny: We represent the LionKing Hearts Fantasy Film company.

Sophie: *gasps* Film! You mean like Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino? Oh, I simply adore Rudolph Valentino!

Johnny: Yeah… Sure, you can say that. *turns to the captains, whispers* Who's Rudolph Valentino?

Benny: *whispers* Watch The Sheik sometime, Johnny. Classic.

Logan: And we're close friends of theirs, madam. *bows* I'm Logan, and these people represent my group: Popeye, Justin, Isaac, Loki, and Bonnie. *motions to Linde* And this is Linde, she's accompanied us during our whole trip.

Linde: Good day, Miss Smirnoff.

Isaac: Granted, not all of us are qualified filmmakers like the others. But, I happen to be the most world renowned critic in my country. Best of the best, I might add.

Loki: *growls, translates* Oh, please.

Sophie: A pleasure to meet you all, darlings. Oh, but look at me. Where are my manners? Come in! Come in, everyone. I'm palpitating with amazement and shock and surprise- All three.

*Sophie stands back as Vladimir, Dimitri, Anya, Linde, and the rest follow. Before Pooka can cross the threshold the door is slammed shut and he bumps into it with his nose. Quickly, he jumps to the window box and presses his face to the glass. He watches as the group enters Sophie's drawing room, Anya moves with grace and regal poise*

Vlad: May I present Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolayevna.

Sophie: Oh my heavens - She certainly does look like Anastasia! But so did many of the others.

Group: What!?

Logan: Hmm. *gives a suspicious look to Dimitri and Vlad*

Sophie: Where were you born?

Anya: At the Peterhoff Palace.

Sophie: Correct. *continues* And how does Anastasia like her tea?

Anya: I don't like tea, just hot water and lemon.

Sophie: Good.

*Outside Sophie's house, the sundial shows the passing of time, then back to Pooka, who is now pacing in the planter box. The flowers are destroyed. The team have been sitting anxiously as Anya seemed to answer the questions as only the best as she possibly could. But then, there came that one question Sophie had been saving just for last*

Sophie: Finally, you'll most likely find this…an impertinent question, but indulge me. How did you escape during the siege of the palace?

Panthy: *groans* Oh, fantastic.

Justin: *quietly* Well, it was bound to come up eventually.

*Dimitri and Vladimir exchange a nervous look, that Logan immediately takes notice. It's obvious from their expression they never briefed Anya on this one. Logan turns to Anya, who is silent for a moment. But then…*

Anya: There was a boy, a boy who worked in the palace. He opened a wall - *realizes what she's said* I'm sorry, that's crazy - *on a lighter note, trying to recover* Walls opening…

*Dimitri is shocked. He knows this is Anastasia Romanov and he can't believe it. He wanders outside. Anya doesn't see him*

Popeye: Well, blow me down.

Bruma: I can't believe she actually answered the question.

Dagnino: Question is: Was it the right answer?

Sophie: Oh, well, she answered every question.

*Anya's face lights up*

Vlad: You hear that, child? You did it!

*The groups cheer as Anya hugs Vlad, Sophie looks at this tender moment with a smile*

Linde: I knew you could do it, Anya!

Aurora Rose: And now we're just one more step close to proving that you're Anastasia.

Sunlight: That reminds me… When do we go to meet the Empress?

Sophie: I'm afraid you don't.

Benny: What?

Leo: What?

Johnny: What?

Loki: *growls, translates* What?!

Vladimir: Come again, my pet.

Sophie: The Empress simply won't allow it.

Vlad: Now Sophie, my bright diamond. Surely you can think of some way to arrange a brief interview with the Dowager. I refuse to budge till an answer occurs to you.

*Sophie thinks… And then, an idea strikes her mind.*

Sophie: Do you like the Russian ballet? I believe they're performing in Paris tonight!

Johnny: Well, there was that one time Daphne made me sit through "Swan Lake". Other than that, we don't see a lot of ballets.

Bonnie: What does the ballet have to do with the Empress?

Sophie: The Dowager Empress and I love the Russian Ballet - We never miss it. *winks at Vlad*

*Meanwhile, at the garden, Dimitri is still trying to put it all together in his head, just as Vladimir rushed out*

Vlad: We…did it! We're going to see the Imperial Highness tonight! We're going to get the ten million rubles! We are going to be, ah, ha, ha.

*Dimitri turns to him, still dumbfounded, and desperately repeats a line he's said many times without meaning, as Logan listens in from the door, the whole conversation*

Dimitri: But Vlad, Vlad, Vlad... She is the princess.

*Of course, Vlad thinks he means that Anya just did well*

Vladimir: Anya was extraordinary! I almost believed her. And Sophie-

*Finally, Logan can no longer take it and steps out confronting the two men*

Logan: I knew it!

*The two men turn around to see an angry Logan, come out from the door. As if his anger wasn't visible enough, his glasses are taken off to reveal a fiery look in his eyes.*

Logan: I had a feeling right from the start about this whole scheme! You two don't care about reuniting Anya with her family, you're just in it for the reward money!

Dimitri: Now, now, Logan I know it started out that way. But I'm serious when I said that Anya is -

Logan: Shut it, scum bag! *looks to Vlad* And you! I thought you were the only one I could trust. Apparently, I was wrong! You're BOTH despicable!

Dimitri: Logan, will you just listen -

Logan: NO! I'm done listening to you, from now on, you listen to me! If Anya gets hurt in any way come tonight, all because Marie assumes she's a fake like everyone else, I promise to make you wish that none of you ever met her!

*Before Logan can say anymore, Anya and the girls rush out, excited*

Anya: Sophie wants to take us shopping for the ballet!

Kairel: Shopping in Paris?! It's a dream come true!

Panthy: Let's do it!

*Later, at the Avenue de Montaine, Vladimir, Sophie, Dimitri, Anya, Linde, and the gang exit the Chanel shop, wearing new clothes*

Accordion Player: Lovers!

Lady Flower Seller: Ooh La La!

Sophie: *singing* Welcome, my friends, to Paris.  
Here, have a flower on me.  
Forget where you're from.  
You're in France!  
Children, come!  
I'll show you that French joie de vivre!

Paris holds the key to your heart.  
And all of Paris plays a part.

Accordion Player & Flower Seller: *singing* Just stroll two by two  
Down what we call "la rue"

Sophie & All: *singing* And soon all Paris  
Will be singing to you!  
Ooh La La  
Ooh La La  
Ooh La La!

Bonnie: Oh my gosh, I've never had so much fun in my entire life!

Johnny: Yup, that's Paris for ya!

Popeye: So, when do we gets to meet Charles Lindbergh?

Isaac: Popeye, I told you already, just because we're in Paris in the 1920s, doesn't mean we'll get to meet famous people like-

Justin: Hey guys, look! *points*

Maurice Chevalier: *singing* Paris holds the key to l'amour!

Justin: Maurice Chevalier!

Sigmund Freud: *singing* And not even Freud knows the cure!

Aurora Rose: Sigmund Freud!

Logan: *points up* Hey, Popeye, look up in the air!

Popeye: *gasps* Oh my garshk! *points up* It's him! Charlie!

Charles Lindbergh: *in the sky, singing* There's love in the air!

Josephine Baker: *singing* At the Follies Begere!

Claude Monet: *singing* The French have it down to an art!

Everyone: *singing* Paris hold the key to your heart!  
Ooh la la!

Leo: *shocked* That was Claude Monet... "The" Claude Monet!

Isaac: *eyes widen* J-J-J-J-Josephine Baker too!

Loki: *growls, translates* Loved her cheetah.

Sophie: *singing* When you're feeling blue  
Come to Le Moulin.  
When your heart says don't,  
The French say do!

Can Can Girls: *singing* When you think you can't  
You'll find you can-can!

Sophie: *singing* Everyone can can can!  
You can can can too!

*During this moment, Sophie's shoe falls off her foot and Vlad rushes to get it… Just as the Can-Can girls begin to dance. For a moment, Vlad finds herself stuck between the group and his friends simply laugh that off. Soon, the two teams, Anya, and Sophie join in, all except for Dimitri, who's watching Anya taking part in the fun…*

Can Can Girls: *singing* Whee!  
Whee!  
Whee!

Dimitri: *singing* Paris hold the key to her past.  
Yes, Princess, I've found you at last.  
No more pretend,  
You'll be gone,  
That's the end…

*The sounds of revelry comes back with a wallop*

Ensemble: *singing* Paris hold the key  
To your heart!

Courtier: *singing* You'll be "très jolie" and so smart!

Isadora Duncan: *singing* Come dance through the night

Rodin: *singing* And forget all your woes

Sophie: *singing* The city of light

Gertrude Stein: *singing* Where a rose is a rose!

Spohie & All: *singing* And one never knows what will start!  
Paris  
Holds the key…

Dimitri: *singing* To her…

Everyone: *singing* Heart!

Sophie: *singing* Ooh La La!

Everyone: *singing* Ooh La La!

*The city is alive with music and dance, all of Paris alive with the rhythm of it's people dancing beneath this glorious night, illuminated by the explosion of fireworks as The Spirit of St. Louis flies through the air. For indeed, after all they've been through and everything they've done to get here, Paris was seemingly everything they had ever imagined.


	8. Chapter 8

*The evening of the Russian Ballet arrived, as the people of Paris climbed the Paris Opera House steps to enter, all but a few handfuls. All the men were dressed in tuxedos, top hats, and capes; while all the women were dressed in glittering gowns, some wearing fur scarves around their necks and matching hats, even expensive pairs of high-heeled shoes. A very dapper Vladimir paces nervously on the steps. Dimitri, also done up, sits nearby*

Dimitri: We don't have anything to be nervous about. She's the princess…

Vlad: *misunderstanding* I know, I know, but…

Logan: Ha! Like he cares!

Rae: *gasps* Logan, how could you say that?

Logan: *turns to Rae* Open your eyes, Rae! Isn't it obvious? I was right from the start! Vlad and Dimitri don't really believe Anya is Anastasia, they're just doing this for the reward money! I overheard them talking about it before our little shopping spree!

Leo: Reward money? *eyes Vlad and Dimitri suspiciously* What reward money?

Logan: The Dowager Empress is promising a reward of 10 million rubles to anyone who returns the Grand Duchess Anastasia to her. Why else would they bring Anya to her cousin, just to see if she's the real thing? Why else would Sophie say there have been others claiming they were Anastasia?

Johnny: Wait… *pause* You mean…the Empress would think Anya is just another actress?

Logan: Exactly. And I think the Dowager Empress is sick and tired of having to sit and listen to all those phonies claiming to be her granddaughter.

Leo: But we've come so far and done everything we could to prove she's the missing princess!

Benny: But was it enough, Leo? Maybe Logan's right, the Empress won't give us a chance. If she thinks it's just a con…what would a con artist prove otherwise?

Dimitri: But she IS the Grand Duchess Anastasia, I swear!

Vlad: *confused* What?

Logan: Of course she is, we all believe that. Question is: Why should we think that you believe?

Dimitri: What more do you want from me?

Isaac: The truth.

Dimitri: *sighs* Look… It may have started out as a con, I admit it, but… Now I know she's the Grand Duchess.

Logan: How?

Dimitri: Because I was the boy - in the palace. The one who opened the wall.

Johnny: Seriously?

Leo: But if you were the one who opened the wall…then that means…

Aurora Rose: *finishing* You saved her life. You're the reason she survived the assault on the palace!

Logan: *still skeptical* I still don't believe you.

Dimitri: Then maybe you'll believe this. *pulls out the music box from his coat pocket*

Rae: What's that?

Logan: *takes the music box from Dimitri and inspects* It's a music box. *eyes widen* "Her" music box! The last thing her grandmother gave to her before the siege. This thing disappeared years ago, how did you-

Dimitri: She dropped it while she was escaping. Luckily, I managed to grab it and have been keeping it with me all these years. I'm going to present it to the Dowager Empress as proof that Anya's the real thing.

Logan: *eyes widen* You ARE telling the truth…

Vlad: *jaw drops open, he can't believe it* That means our Anya has found her family! We have found the heir to the Russian throne! And you… *he stops, suddenly gets it*

Dimitri: *finishing* Will walk out of her life forever.

Benny: But Dimitri…

Dimitri: Princesses don't marry kitchen boys.

Johnny: Are you kidding? Princesses can marry anyone they see as a worthy husband. We've seen it happen before.

Dimitri: It doesn't matter; my mind's made up. We're going to go through with this as if nothing has changed.

Vlad: You've got to tell her.

Anya: Tell me what?

*They turn to see Anya suddenly there, with Linde close behind her friend. Both of them wrapped in furred coats, Anya a blue one while Linde's was more of a Magenta color. They could see that the girls looked simply ravishing in their new clothes*

Isaac: Linde…

Linde: I heard you had something to tell Anya, Dimitri?

Dimitri: Uh- How- How beautiful you look.

Anya: Well, thank you.

*Anya smiles sweetly and looks down. Anya takes his arm and they walk up the stairs together, while Linde accompanied Isaac and Loki alongside, and the rest followed close behind*

Isaac: You look beautiful too, Linde.

Linde: Gosh… Thank you.

*Everyone enters the Paris Opera House. Anya is halfway up the grand staircase, when Dimitri finishes checking their coats and looks up at her. He stares as she turns back and nods for him to join her. Shaking the spell her beauty has cast over him, he leaps to her side*

*Everyone goes into the Opera Box and takes their seats. All around them are people whispering, taken with Anya. Dimitri turns to Anya and gestures to the box seats to the left. He hands her the opera glasses*

Dimitri: Look, there she is.

Rae: Wow… The Dowager Empress Marie herself!

Sunlight: So that's the woman we've been wanting to see.

*Anya gives Dimitri a very nervous look and takes the glasses, aiming them toward Marie. She sees Marie sitting beside Sophie*

Anya: *like a prayer* Please let her remember me…

*Eventually, after the opening choir, the Russian Ballet itself begins. Judging by the costumes and the scenery, it seemed that this ballet was retelling the story of Cinderella as interpreted through the dancing from the ballet actors and the harmonies from the band. But Anya's attention is not so much on the ballet itself, but on the Empress. So nervous of what she'll think of her, she twists and tears her program until she feels a light hand calm her, Dimitri's hand*

Dimitri: Everything's gonna be fine.

*As the ballet was nearing it's end, at the portion where the ball scene was taking place, the group were actually enjoying this ballet from start to finish. Linde, especially, was paying close attention to the ball portion, watching the actors and actresses dancing hand-in-hand to the rhythm. But then, a stab of pain hits her skull, she groans a bit, and her eyes widen greatly, pupils shrinking, as memories start to flood her mind from nowhere*

*They were quick images from the night Nicholas and her family were slain. The palace was in flames, shadows of guests and servants running down the halls. A flash or two shows Linde with that very same Snow Leopard, Nychus, actually slashing at a servant with their blades, all while turning from one side to another in a scene that was heavily blurred. Yet their motives were there, they were looking for the Romanovs. A switch later shows Linde actually standing over the body of a frightened young Anastasia, her bow aimed to pierce her heart, and she can hear the same words from Nychus the night of the betrayal*

Nychus: *flashback, slow-motion* Remember…

*A quick flash of Nychus' burning face, his hand held on his right side and a scream echoes in her memory*

Nychus: *flashback, slow motion* No Romanov…

*A scene of Nychus looking at Linde as the ice slowly cracks beneath him, his infamous last words escape his lips*

Nychus: "Proditores morte." *Death to traitors*

*Finally a cry pierces sharply, Marie's voice crying in agony for Anastasia*

Empress Marie: ANASTASIA!

*Suddenly, another cry escapes, Linde doesn't realized it escaped from hers. She is jolted back to reality hyperventilating and her eyes widen, slowly turning to see that her friends had looked at her with confused looks, some even taken aback by that unexpected burst of emotion, even as the music of the ballet continued and the actors kept going. Linde has no idea what to say in response or else no words could escape her lips. She immediately picks herself off her chair, shaking her head, and making her way out the theater, passing a few attendees on the way out*

Xiro: Wait a minute, where's she going?

Isaac: *calls out* Linde! *pause, turns around, shrugs his arms*

Benny: Come on, we better go see if she's okay.

*The group pick themselves off their seats, excusing themselves past the annoyed patrons, who were trying to watch the show. Dimitri seemed to show a bit of concern, but instead he chose to stay with Anya, feeling she may need him more. And stay with Anya, he did*

*The play eventually reaches an intermission and the lights come up. Dimitri turns to Anya*

Dimitri: *bittersweet* Come on. I guess it's time.

*Outside the theater, as the orchestra was preparing for the second act, Dimitri had just led Anya to meet the Dowager Empress Marie. But the expression on Anya's face was clear in that she was a nervous wreck*

Dimitri: Relax, you're gonna be great.

Anya: *turns away* Oh.

Dimitri: *grabs Anya by the shoulder* Hey! Hey, hey, hey. Take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine.

*Minutes later, Anya and Dimitri finally reach Marie's private balcony, ready for the moment of truth to arrive*

Dimitri: Wait here for just a moment. I'll go in and announce you properly.

*Dimitri doesn't go far when Anya stops him*

Anya: Dimitri.

Dimitri: Yes?

Anya: Look, we've been through a lot together..

Dimitri: Uh-huh.

Anya: *continued* … And I just wanted to…

Dimitri: Yes?

Anya: … Well, thank you I guess. Yes. Thank you for everything.

*Dimitri takes his leave, but then realizes he still had something to tell Anya. So he turns around hoping to express his feelings*

Dimitri: Anya, I…

Anya: Yes?

Dimitri: I'm… I… Mm…

Anya: Yes?

Dimitri: I wanted to wish you good luck… Well… Here goes.

*Smiling sadly, Dimitri walks into the private balcony as Anya waits for him in the Mezzanine. Unfortunately, he doesn't close the door all the way, causing it to crack open a tiny bit, just enough for Anya to hear everything on the other side*

*In the private balcony, Dimitri approaches Sophie*

Dimitri: Please inform her majesty, the Dowager Empress, that I have found her granddaughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia. She's waiting to see her just outside the door.

Sophie: I'm very sorry young man, but the Dowager Empress, she will see no one.

*Overhearing this, Marie turns around and faces Dimitri, a burning rage can clearly be seen on her face*

Empress Marie: You may tell that impertinent young man that I have seen enough Grand Duchess Anastasias to last me a lifetime.

*It was then that Sophie starts having second thoughts, wanting for Dimitri to leave before any trouble starts to blow out*

Sophie: Um, you better go.

Dimitri: Please, let me just…

Empress Marie: Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to live the remainder of my lonely life in peace.

Sophie: Come, I'll see you to the door. Come, come now, come to the door.

*Sophie closes the curtain that provides the only access to Marie, but Dimitri ducks through it and sits himself down in a chair right next to the Dowager, much to her chagrin*

Dimitri: Your majesty, I intend you no harm. My name is Dimitri... I used to work at the palace.

Empress Marie: Well, that's one I haven't heard, I must say. *rises to go*

Dimitri: Wait! Don't go, please. If you'll just hear me out.

Empress Marie: I know what you're after. I've seen it before! Men who train young women in the royal ways. *pulls on a velvet rope, summoning the guards*

Dimitri: But if Your Highness will just listen-

Empress Marie: *interrupts* Haven't you been listening? I've had enough. I don't care how much you have fashioned this girl to look like her, sound like her or act like her. In the end, it never is her.

Dimitri: This time it IS her.

*Outside the balcony, Anya listens to the conversation. She can't believe what she is hearing*

Empress Marie: Dimitri- I've heard of you. You're that con man from St. Petersburg who was holding auditions to find an Anastasia look-alike.

*Outside the balcony, Anya gasps upon hearing Marie's words about Dimitri*

Dimitri: But, Your Grace, we've come all the way from Russia just to see-

Empress Marie: And others have come from Timbuktu.

Dimitri: It's not that. It's not what you think.

Empress Marie: How much pain will you inflict on an old woman for money?

*Outside the balcony, Anya is horrified and ashamed as she realizes the truth about Dimitri and herself*

Empress Marie: *to guards* Remove him at once!

Dimitri: But she is Anastasia, I'm telling you! She's the Grand Duchess. If you'll only speak to her, you'll see!

*Dimitri is soon thrown out of the box, landing straight at Anya's feet, as the doors close shut. Dimitri slowly looks to Anya, who stares at him with agonizing realization*

Anya: *devastated* It was all a lie, wasn't it?

Dimitri: No! No.

Anya: You used me? I was just a part of your con to get her money?

Dimitri: No! No, no, no. Look it may have started out that way, but everything's different now because you really are Anastasia, you are.

Anya: Look, stop it! From the very beginning, you lied! And I not only believed you, I actually… *groans*

Dimitri: Anya, please! When you spoke of the hidden door of the wall opening, and the little boy- Listen to me, that was…

Anya: NO! I don't want to hear about anything I said or remembered! You just leave me alone!

*Dimitri grabs Anya's arm and she slaps him… Then, she turns and runs off, Dimitri follows her, but gets caught up in the crowd*

Dimitri: Anya, please! You have to know the truth!

*Meanwhile, down the hall, the Fantasy Adventure Team and the Trimaxian Adventure Crew had been searching around for their friend Linde. They had no idea why Linde had just suddenly bolted out of the theater in the middle of the show or why she had that sudden outburst in general, but with Linde nowhere in sight, they feared they may not be able to find her*

Teresa: Where could she had run off too y'all?

Isaac: She looked like she was having a nervous breakdown.

Aurora Rose: I sense there's something definitely wrong with her.

Bonnie: *runs to the others* Guys, I can't find her anywhere. I've looked in the lobby, even checked on the lower decks, I even asked the patrons. But nobody's seen her anywhere… It's like she just vanished from the whole building.

Leo: Well, that's not good. Let's just hope Dimitri's having better luck with the Dowager Empress.

Dimitri: *off-screen* Anya, please! You have to know the truth!

*Just then, Anya comes storming past the two teams, fuming so greatly that the boys actually stood back. Before they even have a moment to ask, Anya is so far ahead of the group that they lose the chance to do so. In an instant, Dimitri managed to push his way past the other patrons and tried to reach out for Anya*

Dimitri: Anya, wait!

Benny: Dimitri, what happened?

Dimitri: I blew it, Benny! I tried to convince Marie who Anya is, but she already knew who I was and knew about the plan! Anya heard the whole thing and now she's mad… I should've told her before. *walks off, leaving the group behind*

Dagnino: *sarcastically* Oh, great! Just perfect!

Popeye: All tat 'ard woirk, for nuthin!

Leo: Maybe we should talk to Anya. She trusts us. Once we tell her she's the grand duchess, she'll surely believe us!

Johnny: Only one problem, Leo.

Bruma: If the Empress doesn't believe that Anya is the grand duchess anyway, how can she believe it herself?

Leo: Oh yeah, you're right.

Panthy: And worst than that, we don't know where she's going!

Logan: Hmm… *sneaks off without being noticed*

Rae: First Linde's gone, now Anya. How can this night get any worse?

Loki: *growls, translates* We don't have time for a scene shift showing a jinx. We have to find them, especially Linde.

Justin: Hey. *looks around* Where's Logan?

Loki: *growls, translates* … Why do I bother?

*Meanwhile, Logan has just exited the Opera House, only to see the Dowager Empress Marie walking up to her chauffeured limousine*

Logan: *to himself* Come on, Dimitri, I know you're out here.

*Dimitri is standing on the steps of the Opera House, a few feet away from Logan, when he sees Marie*

Logan: *quietly as he approaches Dimitri* Hey, Dimitri.

Dimitri: Shhh! Not too loud or the Empress will hear us. I have an idea that just might work, but you're gonna have to trust me.

Logan: Not to worry, Dimitri. Odds are, you and I both had the same idea.

Dimitri: Thought you don't work well with con artists.

Logan: This doesn't change how I feel. But I care about Anya as much as you do. *turns to Marie* Time to make a little detour in her plans.

*As a chauffer was about to aid Marie into the car, Logan runs close by and attempts to make idle conversation with the Dowager Empress*

Logan: *calls out* Excuse me! Excuse me, Your Grace?

Empress Marie: *turns sternly* This better be important, young man. I have somewhere I need to be, as far from this place as possible.

Logan: Forgive me, Your Majesty. My name is Logan, I'm a soldier in the army, my car has broken down, and I am in desperate need of a lift back to my house as quick as possible. I was wondering if you would be gracious enough as to give me a ride?

Empress Marie: *raises an eyebrow* How do I know you are a soldier and not just some vagrant asking for a free ride?

Logan: *pulls out a medal from his tuxedo jacket pocket* Will this help?

Empress Marie: *glances it a moment* Hmm… Oh, very well. At least if it's far, I can take my mind off some unwanted matters in my mind.

Logan: *bows* Oh, thank you, Your Grace, thank you. *walks over to the other side of the car, opens the door, and slides in next to Marie* I will never forget this.

Empress Marie: Think nothing of it, my good man. An empress is a servant of her people.

*As Logan and Marie talked, Dimitri quickly slides into the driver's seat and closes the door*

Logan: *turns to Dimitri* Floor it!

*Hitting the gas pedal hard, the car roars away, leaving the stunned chauffeur standing in the dust. All while Marie seems jolted by the fast motion of the car*

Chauffer: *shouts, slowly fades* Your majesty! Stop right now! Come back here!

Empress Marie: Ilya! Slow down!

Dimitri: *turns from the front seat and looks at her* I'm not Ilya, and I won't slow down. Not until you listen.

Empress Marie: *recognizing Dimitri* You! How dare you! Stop this car immediately! Stop this car!

Logan: I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but this is a matter of utmost importance and it really can't wait.

*The car slams to a stop in front of Sophie's house. Dimitri gets out of the car and goes around to Marie's door and opens it*

Dimitri: *to Marie* You have to talk to her! Just look at her!

Logan: *to Marie* Please, Your Grace, we've come too far to turn back now.

Empress Marie: *to Dimitri* I won't be badgered by you a moment longer. *to Logan* And you, impersonating a soldier before a royal figure, you should be ashamed of yourself for dishonoring this country.

Logan: I never said I wasn't a soldier, Your Majesty. I'm just not a French soldier. Now… *takes out the music box and presents it to Marie* Would you be able to recognize this?

Marie: *takes the music box, inspects it and gasps* Where did you get this?

Logan: Dimitri gave it to me right before the ballet.

Dimitri: *softer* We know you've been hurt. But it's possible that she's been as lost and alone as you.

Empress Marie: You'll stop at nothing, will you?

Dimitri: I'm probably about as stubborn as you are.

Logan: Please, Your Majesty… The girl needs her grandmother.

*Meanwhile, back at Sophie's house, Anya is already packing for her departure from Paris. In the midst of doing so, a knock is heard at the door*

Anya: *angrily packing* Go away, Dimitri.

*The door pulls open, causing Anya to turn. To her surprise, it was neither Dimitri or Linde or any of her friends. Only the Dowager Empress herself, Marie, stood by the door and Anya was taken aback by this sudden appearance*

Anya: *gasps* Oh, I'm sorry. I…I thought you were…

Empress Marie: I know very well who you thought I was. Who exactly are you?

Anya: I…I was hoping you could tell me.

Empress Marie: *sighs* My dear, I'm old and I'm tired of being conned and tricked.

Anya: I don't want to trick you.

Empress Marie: And I suppose the money doesn't interest you either?

Anya: I just want to know who I am, whether or not I belong to a family…your family.

*Marie stands, looking over Anya for a moment, as if pondering the possibility. But as it may seem, it would appear she already came to a conclusion on this confused woman.*

Empress Marie: You're a very good actress; the best yet, in fact. But, I've had enough.

*Marie sweeps past Anya, making her way to the door. Suddenly, Anya appears to catch a scent of something familiar*

Anya: Peppermint?

Empress Marie: *pauses, still suspicious* An oil for my hands.

*Anya closes her eyes, and all at once the memories start flooding back to her as if by some natural coincidence*

Anya: Yes… I spilled the bottle…the carpet was soaked, and it forever smelled of peppermint. *looks at Marie* Like you.

*Marie finds herself staring at Anya, stopped dead in her tracks. As she takes a seat on a small cushion couch, Anya continues to recall the memory of that day, surprising even herself*

Anya: I used to lie there on the rug and oh how I missed you when you went away... When you came here… To Paris.

Empress Marie: *notices Anya playing with a key around her neck* What is that?

Anya: *notices the key* This, well, I've always had it… Ever since before I can remember.

Empress Marie: May I? *holds out her hands as Anya takes off the key and hands it to her* It was our secret. My Anastasia's and mine… *takes the music box from her evening bag*

Anya: *gasps* The music box. *takes the box* To… To sing me to sleep while you were in Paris.

*Anya then takes the key and begins humming the lullaby, twisting the key and causing the box itself to play. As Anya plays the melody, Marie is surprised that someone other than her knew how the box worked. And all at once, it all started to become very clear…*

Anya: *singing* Hear this song and remember…

Anya & Empress Marie: *singing* Soon you'll be  
Home with me  
Once upon a December.

*Their cracking voices trail off as they look at each other, and from that very moment the long search had finally reached it's end. It was her… Her Anastasia*

Empress Marie: Oh Anastasia! My Anastasia!

*Anya and Marie throw their arms around each other in an emotional embrace. From outside Sophie's house, Dimitri and Logan look up at the window from the street. Dimitri blows a kiss and turns to walk away, as Logan continues to look up with a proud look in his face*

Logan: *smiles* Sweet dreams, Anastasia.

*Logan slowly turns from the window and follows Dimitri away from the house. Unbeknownst to the two men or the women in the house, a single figure looks down at them all from the rooftops of a nearby set of houses… Linde. She too had regained her memories, as she watches Anya hug her grandmother in the house. Only for Linde, or Lilya as she slowly began to comprehend, felt nothing but sadness upon realizing that the effects of the potion had finally worn off. A single tear slips from her face, slowly falling down to the streets with a tiny splash on the very pavement*


	9. Chapter 9

*In the far end of Paris, on a stormy night, hiding out in a foreboding clock tower, the villains prepare for one final attempt on the life on the Grand Duchess Anastasia and her meddling friends. As Bartok sits on a table and Nychus wraps a new set of bandages on his face, in front of a mirror so heavily smudged, cracked, and dusty that no reflection can be seen, Rasputin walks down the stairs excited for this night*

Rasputin: Bartok! Get me a comb. Find some cologne. I want to look my best.

Bartok: That might take some work, sir.

Rasputin: Then snap to it. We're going to a party. *slams down a newspaper that reads, "Royal Party Planned, Royal Princess Found"*

Bartok: A party in Paris?

Rasputin: That's right.

*Bartok lands on the newspaper, so excited that he starts moving his hips to the music*

Bartok: *starts dancing* Ooh, I could teach you all the latest dance step. It starts with, like a whoo, and then you get really crazy with the hips, sir. It's fun.

Nychus: *ignoring Bartok* Soon the Grand Duchess Anastasia shall return to the spotlight after such a lengthy absence.

Bartok: *carefree* Who cares?

Rasputin: And then we'll kill her!

Bartok: Right. And then we'll- *stops dancing* Kill her?! Sir, what happened to the party idea?

Rasputin: That's where I will kill her. *laughs* Crush her at the height of her glory. *takes the newspaper and tears it to shreds*

Bartok: And we're back to the crushing.

Nychus: *turns around, his bandaging finished* With all due respect, master, with the Grand Duchess Anastasia made vulnerable for an attack, there is no question that Lilya and her friends will intend to make absolute certain that our attack fails. We must be smart about this, to lure the Princess in a state of false security so we may have her to ourselves. And as a bonus, should Lilya interfere regardless, the moment of seeing her pay the penalty for costing us our moment so many times will finally put a smile upon my face.

Bartok: Sir, I'm begging you. Please- Please forget the girl and get a life.

Rasputin: Oh, I'll get a life, Bartok- Hers.

*Rasputin cackles as thunder and lightning cracks along the sky, the rain pours heavily like tears, as Nychus stands bold and true in preparation for a night that neither of them will ever forget. And this time, no one, not even the Fantasy Adventure Team or The Trimaxian Adventure Crew, will stand in their way*

*Meanwhile, in Marie's study, the music box sits on her desk beside an unopened jewelry box. Marie sits on a sofa, a large simple wooden box is opened beside her. Anya, the Grand Duchess Anastasia herself, sits on a hammock at her feet, looking at an informal photograph of her family, touching the faces slowly with her fingertips, tears welling up in her eyes. Marie gently takes the picture from behind her, stroking her hair*

Anastasia: I remember now…how much I loved them.

Marie: They would not want us to live in the past- not now that we have found each other. Oh, look here. *takes out a water-colored drawing from the box* The drawings you gave me. Remember?

Anastasia: *takes the picture* Yes. Olga made me so mad. She said it looked like a pig riding a donkey. She was right.

*Anastasia's voice bubbles with laughter, her grandmama joining in as they relive all those wonderful memories together*

Marie: In your laughter once again, I hear my Nicky, your dear father…

*Mid-sentence, Marie stands and leads Anastasia to the jewel box, opening it gently. Displayed inside in rich velvet is a dazzling array of jewelry: A beautiful crown. The very sight of it makes Anastasia gasp*

Marie: *continued* But you have the beauty of your mother, Alexandra, empress of all Russia.

*Marie takes the exquisite tiara from the box, placing it atop of Anastasia's head, turning her so she can look towards the mirror. Wide-eyed, Anastasia could now truly see that she not only looked like a Princess but it was all true… Before her was the image of the grand duchess herself*

*With that same crown, the same wide-eyed expression, Anastasia is now garbed in the most beautiful gown and band made fit for a princess. Sophie and a seamstress step back, rapturous, making final adjustments for Anastasia's equally exquisite gown. Anastasia turns slightly, watching herself, touching the gown in wonder seeing that what was once a dream has now been brought to life as a reality*

*Elsewhere, in Marie's study, Dimitri stands before the Dowager Empress Marie, who stands behind an open valise filled with the reward money for the safe return of her long-lost Granddaughter, Anastasia*

Dimitri: *bows* You sent for me, Your Grace?

Marie: *presents the money* Ten million rubles… As promised, with my gratitude.

Dimitri: I accept your gratitude, Your Highness, but I-I don't want the money.

Marie: *smiles, yet a bit suspicious* What do you want, then?

Dimitri: Unfortunately, nothing you can give. *bows*

*Dimitri starts to leave for the door, yet Marie is so puzzled and intrigued by this sudden change in behavior of a mere con-man she had to know what was on his mind*

Marie: Young man. *Dimitri stops* Where did you get that music box?

*Dimitri doesn't answer back right away, uncertain of what to say knowing that he hadn't been entirely honest during the whole trip. Still, she crosses to Dimitri.*

Marie: *continued* You were the boy, weren't you? The servant boy who got us out? You saved her life and mine. Then, you restored her to me, yet you want no reward?

Dimitri: Not anymore.

Marie: Why the change of mind?

Dimitri: It was more a change of heart. *almost fleeing* I must go.

*Dimitri bows once more to Marie, leaving as quickly as he could. Marie is left to wonder of the words that Dimitri had spoken to her and yet there was a part of her that felt proud of the man for the development that had changed his character for the better. A man she once assumed was another artist merely bringing a random woman for money, suddenly came to her as a noble gentlemen who restored a fading legacy that was almost lost in the fabric of time forever. A smile crosses Marie's face, an old woman who couldn't be any prouder*

*In the hallway of Marie's house, the Grand Duchess Anastasia sees Dimitri coming down the steps. She draws herself to full regal height, as Dimitri stops upon seeing her once more*

Anastasia: *distantly* Hello, Dimitri.

Dimitri: Hello.

Anastasia: Did you collect your reward?

Dimitri: My business is complete.

Major Domo: *overhears the conversation* Uh, young man, you will bow and address the princess as "Your Highness."

Anastasia: No, that's not nessass-

Dimitri: *holds up a hand* Please. Your Highness. *bows* I'm glad you found what you were looking for.

Anastasia: Yes. I'm glad you did too.

Dimitri: Well, then, goodbye, Your Highness.

*Dimitri bows and exits the house. Anastasia stares after him for a moment, watching him fade away knowing it may be the last time she'll ever see him again.*

Anastasia: *softly, to herself* Goodbye…

*As Anastasia looks somewhat sadly of Dimitri's departure, a familiar voice causes the Princess to turn around*

Voice: Excuse me, Anya… *pause* I mean, Your Grace.

*The Princess Anastasia turns around and sees that it is her old friend, Linde, dressed in the same familiar clothes from some time ago. Upon seeing Linde's expression on her face, she appears somewhat sad, regretful, as if she expected to walk into a major confrontation. Still…she stands before the princess regardless*

Anastasia: Linde?

Linde: *pause* I wish to have a word with you, in private. There's something I've been meaning to tell you.

Anastasia: Oh… Okay.

*Somewhat pleased, Linde leads the Princess towards one of the bedrooms, Anastasia assures the Major Domo that she is an old friend of hers through a motion. Once inside the bedroom, the door shut behind the princess, they take their seats on a set of cushions in the room. Linde was the first to speak*

Linde: So it's true then, what everyone's been saying… Princess Anastasia has come to reclaim the throne.

Anastasia: Well, you're right. Anastasia's back. But I want you to know that I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for you and the others. Thank you, Linde, for staying by my side all the way.

Linde: *pause* You've been such a good friend to me these past ten years… I only wish I can be as excited about this as you.

Anastasia: Well why aren't you? I'm surprised that you're down and quiet.

Linde: *looks out the window* You're right, I have been quiet as of late. *turns back to Anastasia* Princess, it's high time that you finally heard what I should've told you about me… Long ago.

Antasiasia: I-I don't understand.

Linde: My real name is Lilya. I come from a long line of honorable assassins… and I've been trained to kill you.

Anastasia: *pause* You're joking, aren't you? Surely you don't mean that.

Linde: *shakes her head* Think back, Anya… To the night the Romanovs fell. You were running along a frozen lake with your grandmother… Then, a tall, cloaked man pinned you down… And on the roof of the palace, two more cloaked figures, one armed with a bow and arrow.

Anastasia: *thinks it over* I do remember them, vaguely... They accompanied the man that night of my father's celebration. They were Snow Leopards and… *turns to Linde, suddenly realizes* Linde… That was you?

Linde: *nods*

Anastasia: Then… Then, you were the one who refused to kill me that night. And you were there with me after I was separated from my grandmama. But… Why pick now to tell me?

Linde: Because… That very same night, I drank a vial containing a potion designed to make me forget everything up to that very moment. I did so, in hopes I would never have to endure the pain and suffering I not only inflicted on those around me, but also for myself. And for a while, I nearly escaped the past… Until it started to wear off and my memories came back to me. I'm sorry.

Anastasia: *pause* So now we both know who we are. Question is: What now?

Linde: *turns away, sadly* Anastasia… I don't want to hurt you. Even after all that training to be an assassin since I was a child, it's come to a point where I find killing someone to be so…difficult. And I don't want to hurt the one person in my life I called a friend. But, at the same time, I can't afford to put you in anymore danger so long as I'm around.

Anastasia: Are you saying…you're leaving?

Linde: *looks back* It's for your own good, Princess. My former Partner will be looking for me, he won't rest until he finds me and delivers the death penalty for my treacherous ways. And if he finds you, he won't hesitate to kill you like I did. But considering it's me he truly wants, this way I can draw him away from you and so you have the teams to look out for you. I'm sorry it has to be this way… But there is no place for me here. Not in Paris, not Russia… Not anywhere.

*Anastasia slowly approaches Linde, until they are near close to each other as they look at each other from eye-to-eye. Then, Anastasia folds her arms around Linde, embracing her in a warm hug that nearly caught Linde off guard*

Anastasia: No matter where you go, you will always be my friend. My best friend.

Linde: *returns the hug, quietly cries* And I will always cherish the good times we had together.

*The two girls hug for a moment, before they slowly pull apart. As Anastasia slowly turns to the door, Linde turns towards the window and slowly opens them wide, ready to make an exit. But then, Anastasia calls out to her*

Anastasia: *turns around* Linde!

*Linde turns her head around to Anastasia, who had one last thing to tell her*

Anastasia: *pause* I never thanked you... For saving my life.

Linde: *sadly smiles* You never had to… I just knew. *turns to face the outside* Goodbye… *makes a great leap, falls to the ground*

*Anastasia runs back to the window, looking down to see where she landed. But the grounds were completely empty, as if Linde never touched the ground. She looks around towards the rooftops of nearby buildings and even on the streets, where cars steadily pass by, but there's not a trace left of her friend in sight. It was then she came to accept it… Linde, her best friend and protector, was gone from her life… Just like Dimitri*

*Later that afternoon, Vladimir and the male members of the group looked in the mirror admiring themselves. The gentlemen are all decked out in their fancy robes, dressed specifically for the upcoming coronation of their good friend, Anastasia. Pooka enters in full fancy dress as well, wearing a crown, a medal and a sword. Vladimir sees that Pooka looks and feels miserable*

Vlad: *to Pooka* You look fabulous! Oh. Do you mind? *steals the medal from around Pooka's neck and pins it on his own chest* No, of course not, you're a wonderful dog.

*As the boys were checking up on each other, the girls entered the room in sparkling gowns and elegant dresses for the big night. All of them looking as beautiful as the gentlemen were all so handsome.*

Rae: Well boys, tonight's the big night! Princess Anastasia's big coronation!

Isaac: And here we are, dressed in our best.

Justin: Thanks for designing outfits for Popeye, Isaac and myself, Rae.

Rae: My pleasure, Justin. It took a while longer than I thought, but it certainly helped to pass the time.

Xiro: I actually can't believe we did it. A few days ago, we were teaming with an orphan girl training her to become the grand duchess and now as it turns out Anya truly was the lost Princess we've been looking for.

Johnny: I'd say we did a great job, guys.

Logan: Yeah, mission accomplished.

Dagnino: Not just yet. Once we get footage of Anastasia at the height of her glory tonight, no one will ever question the fact that Princess Anastasia is alive and well.

Leo: I couldn't agree more, Dag. Everything's going our way.

*But while everyone is happy knowing they've accomplished something extraordinary, Loki is actually concerned*

Teresa: *to Loki* I do declare, why so glum there, little one?

Loki: *growls, translates* It's Linde. She hasn't appeared since she left the theater.

Benny: *realizes that* Oh… Right. I'm afraid we haven't had a chance to look for her.

Kairel: We searched everywhere as much as we could. But… It seems she won't be joining us for the coronation, apparently.

Loki: *growls, translates* You mean… She just left? Without saying goodbye?

Panthy: Sorry, Loki.

Bruma: I guess she felt her work was done, our work.

Loki: *pause, growls, translates* Well… Well, fine! So, why should it matter why she left then? Why should I care? I don't care. It's not like she was going to stay anyway... *starts to walk away*

Isaac: *to Loki* Loki, wait -

Loki: *turns swiftly, growls, translates* Just leave me alone, Isaac! If Linde doesn't want to be around us anymore, then let her go! We don't need her… *turns around* I don't need her. *walks out the door*

*Everyone looks at each other with concerned looks, all feeling sympathy for Loki. Dimitri enters and picks up his travel bag. Vlad sees his reflection in the mirror and turns*

Dimitri: Well if you're ever in St. Petersburg again, look me up. So long, Vlad.

Vlad: *hugs Dimitri, as the two teams look on* Ah, my boy. You're making a mistake.

Bonnie: Do you really have to go?

Dimitri: Trust me. This is the one thing I'm doing right.

*Forcing a smile, Dimitri cuts Vlad off, shaking his hand and patting him on the shoulder. Pooka understands that Dimitri is leaving, so he whimpers, even as Dimitri scratches his nose*

Dimitri: So long, mutt. *Pooka licks Dimitri's hand* I can't stay; I don't belong here. *makes way to the exit*

Logan: Hey, Dimitri.

Dimitri: *turns around* Yeah?

Logan: I was wrong about you… *smiles* You're okay in my book.

Dimitri: *smiles* You're a good kid and you've got a good thing with your friends. Never lose sight of that. *walks away*

*Outside the palace, on the dark, quiet streets, Linde slowly trudges down the path in sadness, depressed about leaving her friends, but knowing that she can't stay*

*As the day suddenly turned into night, most of Paris is empty and the traffic has slowly died down, as everyone gathered to see the long awaited return of the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Only one solitary figure finds herself walking alone on this night, Linde, who had her arms folded in her walk as she past through the chilly air. Words cannot truly describe how sad and depressed Linde felt, knowing that she had left her friends so suddenly. But she knew she cannot stay with them, less she'd risk something awful happening to them. She stops in the middle of the bridge and approaches the railing, looking down at the dark sea below her*

Linde: *pause* I don't belong anywhere.

*Linde then raises a leg on top of the railing, then slowly lifts the other. She is now standing on the bridge railing, first looking up at the stars in the skies and then below where the water stood below her. She moves a leg forward, slowly, edging it's way over the rail. But before she can do anything else, a bright light appears in front of her, slightly startling her. The light approaches Linde before revealing itself. It is the same figure who appeared on the boat who stopped Nychus from harming her and yet there was something else familiar about her. However, Linde couldn't put a paw on it until the figure spoke.*

Figure: *speaks calmly* Hello, Lilya.

Linde: *in awe of the spirit-figure* You… You're the woman who appeared to me on the boat. But you're more that just that, aren't you? I know you from somewhere, but… I can't remember.

Figure: I am Silveress, formerly the leader of the Snow Leopard Clan, and I've been keeping watch over you for quite a long time.

Linde: Silveress… Yes… Yes, I think I'm starting to remember now. But…what do you want from me?

Silveress: What I had always wanted from you, my dear. From the day you were born, I had hoped to prepare you for the future of our last surviving race. When I could no longer keep to the task, I had asked of Nychus to look after you, to promise me that he would protect you and to ensure that the last hope for our future was safe... But over the years, when my spirit watched you grow, it was only then did I realize that Nychus' intentions were as dark as his heart for he had planned to transform you…into a weapon.

Linde: I'm not surprised. He really did turn me into something nasty…but I didn't want anymore of it at one point. You see, we helped someone in killing the Romanov family in Russia, except for Anastasia and her grandmother. It was here where I couldn't bring it upon myself to harm the girl. Even after Nychus' threats, I made the decision to turn against him and save the girl's life. But even with that, I couldn't run from that moment. It was so scary…and now, I feel there's nothing left me now.

Silveress: *nods understandingly* I can understand the pain that you went through and all the errors you have made in your life. But in my heart, I can truly see that the Lilya I had known since you were a child was still underneath all the shells that Nychus wrapped you inside. And I know that same Lilya has been looking for me, but you must understand. You loved me so much back when I was alive, that I had no unfinished business.

Linde: Silveress… I…I don't know what I'm doing.

Silveress: What person does? Lilya, I can clearly see that you are growing up and trying so hard to redeem yourself on your past mistakes. But if there's a great lesson to learn is that you have to let go of the past in order to prepare for a better future. No amount of amnesia potions can change that, for all they will do is numb the pain rather than to let it go away. But based on the actions of the present: Your willingness to stand by the Princess' side, the friendships you made, your determination to defend with your life, that is truly the honorable way that the Snow Leopards live.

*It was starting to come together, the way this figure understood Linde's concern and such passion within her tenderness. It felt warm when she heard the voice ringing through her soul, a feeling of which she hadn't felt in so long. For only one other creature could make her feel so…happy*

Linde: *smiles, tears up* I miss you so much.

Silveress: *extends her hand and places it under Linde's chin* Do not feel sad, my dear. I will always be with you…in your heart. The time of the Snow Leopards may slowly come to an end, but your time is not yet over. You are still here, as strong as ever. Never let the decisions of others determine how to live your life. They can never decide who you are, not Nychus or anyone else, just you. You are who you choose to be.

Linde: But how? How will I know I made the right choice?

Silveress: *smiles* Because I always knew you could do it… My little Lilya… *starts to fade away*

Linde: Goodbye…mother.

*Tears fall down her face, as Linde watches the spirit of her mother, Silveress, fade away in a sparkling flow up towards the evening sky shining as brightly as the stars above the blanket of darkness. She looks up at the sky, the happiest she felt after so long. As she thinks to herself, she is unaware that Loki had seen Linde from a distance and kept himself hidden, having watched and overheard the whole thing. He continues to observe Linde, who suddenly gains a new outlook on life and realizes what she must now do*

*Linde starts to head back to the palace the way she came…but suddenly, a hand grabs her by the tail and pulls her back. A dark figure appears from the fog and glares at Linde. It's Nychus*

Nychus: Well, well, well. So nice to see you again, Lilya…or should I say…TRAITOR!

Linde: Nychus!

Nychus: Ah… So you "do" remember who I am. When I had realized why you had suddenly lost your memory of our time together, it suddenly occurred to me as to "how" you did. *pulls out a similar vial* Tell me, was it something like this?

Linde: *pause* The Amnesia formula…

Nychus: Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to use this on you… In fact, you won't need it at all. *drops it on the ground, smashes it with his feet* We have a little surprise in store for your friend at the palace and I want you to have the whole image to be the last you remember… Before I kill you next.

Rasputin: *holding Linde's tail* We're already late for the party, Lilya. We certainly can't be tardy, now can we? *glares down at her*

*Loki observes this activity and gasps. But knowing that he can't take on two opponents at a time without his teammates to back him up, gives a determined and angry look, before running off back to the palace*


	10. Chapter 10

*At a Grand Palace, couples in splendor waltz on the floor, while guests whisper excitedly about Anastasia's appearance. And the people had every good reason to be excited for this event. For many of them were at the opening ball in St. Petersburg ten years ago. An ornate chair sits alone on an empty stage - But finally, it would soon be filled by the long-lost princess herself after all these years*

*Anastasia looks through the curtain at the dancing crowd, looking for Dimitri, knowing he's not there. Marie has been watching Anya during this time, knowing exactly what's on her mind*

Empress Marie: He's not there.

Anastasia: Oh, I know he's not, he - *realizes she's caught, tries to cover, badly* Who's not there, Grandmama?

Empress Marie: A remarkable young man who found a music box.

Anastasia: No, he's probably too busy spending his reward money as fast as he can.

Empress Marie: Look at them dance. You were born to this world of glittering jewels and fine titles, but I wonder if this is what you really want.

Anastasia: Of course, of course it is. I found what I was looking for. I found out who I am. I found you.

*And yet, even so, Marie knows that Anastasia doesn't sound happy. She turns to Marie, and now her voice is filled with real warmth*

Empress Marie: Yes, you did find me, and you'll always have me. But is it enough?

*They embrace. For a moment, Marie just holds her warmly in her arms. There are tears in her eyes, for she knows she has to tell Anastasia the truth, even if it means they would have to part ways one more time. She pulls away, looks at Anastasia, and sighs*

Empress Marie: My darling - He didn't take the money.

Anastasia: *looks at her in shock* He didn't?

Empress Marie: Knowing that you are alive, seeing the woman you have become, brings me joy I never thought I could feel again. *kisses Anastasia on the forehead*

*Anastasia embraces her grandmama again, resting her head on Marie's shoulder. Marie turns Anastasia gently, pulling back the curtain to look out at the crowd*

Empress Marie: *continued* Whatever you choose, we will always have each other.

Anastasia: *turning again* Grandmama, can't you tell me…

*However, Marie is already gone. Anastasia looks toward where the crowd awaits, she straightens her shoulders, pushes the curtain a little farther back - And yet, she almost hesitates to go out. And now she asks herself, 'Is this really what I want?' As she thinks, she suddenly hears Pooka's hysterical barking. She turns to see him just disappearing through the terrace doors*

Anastasia: Pooka? Pooka?

*Anastasia hurries out to the Terrace. A shadow moves through the garden door, slithering into the darkness like the crafty Serpent of Eden. Pooka barks in the distance, he edges her further out into the topiary garden. Towering hedges in the shape of horses, elephants, and giraffes surround him, as he slowly disappears in the hedge maze. Anastasia appears in the doorway, with a worried look on her face. She could hear Pooka's barks and is confused as to what's causing him to run out. She hitches up her gown and heads after him. As Anastasia submerges herself deeper and deeper into the darkness, leaving the light and cheer of the party behind, the barking continues into the distance*

Anastasia: *worriedly* Pooka.

*As she wanders further into the topiary garden, something odd occurs: The shadows are moving in her wake. A hedge suddenly grows from behind her, blocking her path, and several statues starts to have their eyes glow. A great evil is slowly stalking her…*

*Meanwhile, back inside the palace, the two teams were anxiously waiting to see the Grand Duchess Anastasia emerge from the curtains. They have already seen the Dowager Empress come out, but now they had to wait and see if Anastasia would soon arrive. But with this bit of a delay, they couldn't help but feel worried in-between their happiness*

Justin: Where's Anastasia?

Rae: Shouldn't she have come out by now?

Isaac: *shrugs* If Loki were here, he'd say she probably went to the bathroom or something.

Benny: Isaac, don't say that. Just give Loki some time to be alone. Surely he'll come back when he feels better.

Isaac: I've seen Loki act this way before Benny. He won't admit it, but… He hates goodbyes.

*At that moment, Loki suddenly appears, exhausted as if he had just ran a marathon. But even so, a worried expression hangs on his face*

Sunlight: Speaking of which, here he is right now.

Isaac: *turns to Loki* Loki! Where the heck have you run off to? You had me worried sick!

Loki: *growls, translates* Isaac, I'm sorry, but we've got a serious problem. It's Linde.

Aurora: Linde? Where she is? What happened?

Loki: *growls, translates, takes a couple breathes* They took her… They took Linde. A skeletal man… And another guy with a metal mask covering half his face! They're using her as bait…

Kairel: Bait? Bait for what?

Bruma: Oh no! They must be using her to lure out Princess Anastasia!

Johnny: But this doesn't make sense! It's not like Anastasia hurt anyone, why would they want to kill her?

Sunlight: Guys, don't you remember the incident back on the train, and the one on the boat?

Johnny: Yeah, you and Benny said someone powerful was trying to prevent us from coming to Paris.

Leo: *thinks for a moment, snaps a finger* The Romanov Curse! Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?!

Aurora Rose: But who would be powerful enough to do all that, and what would he have against the royal family?

Logan: *ponders* Hmm… *gets an idea* Hey guys, I think I have an idea who's behind all this. Ever heard of Rasputin?

Benny: Gregori Rasputin? *pause* I've actually read about him. He was once a Russian mystic and advisor to the Romanovs, a man obsessed by religion. And according to rumors, it's been argued that Rasputin helped to discredit the tsarist family before his untimely death in 1916.

Leo: Yeah, but that's the thing, Benny… He's dead! According to reports, he was stabbed, shot, beaten, poisoned, and thrown in a lake where he drowned.

Logan: Unless his magic was so powerful that... Not even death could stop him.

Johnny: So wait! Are you saying that this Rasputin guy is doing all this...from beyond the grave?

Popeye: *slaps his head* Oh my gawrsk!

Isaac: Uh, guys, Linde in trouble, remember?!

Leo: Right! C'mon, we have to save the girls before it's too late!

*Meanwhile, at the train station, Dimitri is next in the ticket line. He fishes in his pocket for money, comes up with the flower. Dimitr stares at the flower, thinking of Anya*

*The shadows move along the hedges, as Anastasia's silhouette passes through a moonbeam. She is no longer worried, but she's definitely scared. For just one moment Pooka's barking stopped and nothing but silence filled the whole area. Anastasia is now lost in the topiary garden, completely alone and cut off. She senses a presence… And a bark! Anastasia spins in circles, desperately trying to orient herself and… She sees Pooka, barking at the bushes around him*

Anastasia: Pooka? Here, boy!

*Pooka keeps barking. Anastasia whirls about to face…a topiary bush blocking her way out. She frowns: it wasn't there before*

Anastasia: *continued* There you are.

*Anastasia is practically spinning - The Topiary Bushes are rearranged, casting long shadows across her face like groping fingers. She is trapped, boxed in even. Pooka barks as the green creatures seem poised and ready to spring at her*

Rasputin's Voice: Anastasia… Anastasia…

*Anastasia gulps as her eyes widen. She firmly grabs her gown and makes a run for it through a small opening. Pooka follows, barking at all sides. Anastasia pushes through to come upon… The bridge just over the top of a river. The Topiary bushes had blocked her one other exit with it's thorns. The princess is no longer in the gardens*

Rasputin's Voice: Anastasia.

*Anastasia turns to face…Rasputin; a silhouette in the moonlight, hunched over, atrophied, holding a glowing reliquary. As he steps closer, he bows cynically and cruelly*

Rasputin: Your Imperial Highness. Look what ten years have done to us. You, a beautiful young flower. And me…a rotting corpse.

Anastasia: That face!

Rasputin: Last seen at a party like this one.

Anastasia: A curse…

Rasputin: *ominously raises the reliquary* Followed by a tragic night on the ice… Remember?

*Rasputin fires a stream of crackling water from the reliquary. It ices over the bridge and everything around it. The stone cherub faces twist horribly, they grow fangs, ears are pointed, they become devilish imps. Anya is thrown to the ground by the blast. She picks herself up. Now she remembers*

Anastasia: Rasputin!

Rasputin: *imitating, mocking* "Rasputin!" *laughs* Destroyed by your despicable family! But what goes around comes around! And around and around and around and around!

*Rasputin bursts out in laughter as he raises the reliquary. Anastasia stands frozen in terror, unsure of what comes next as the smoke billows out. Minions take shape from the smoke, swarming towards Anastasia like a pack of locusts. Thousands of these devilish fiends taunt her, poke her, tear her dress, and steal her crown, as they spin around and around in circles*

Anastasia: Stop!

*As the minions torment Anastasia, another silhouette appears from where Rasputin stands. It's Nychus*

Nychus: It's about time you got here, Your Highness. We've been waiting for you. We wouldn't want your friend to be the only one with a big surprise.

*Nychus reveals Linde to Anastasia, now gagged and held hostage. Linde struggles and tries crying out to Anastasia, but to no avail*

Anastasia: *eyes widen* Linde!

Bartok: *lands on a horse statue* You're on your own, sir This can only end in tears. *groans*

*Anastasia locks her eyes onto Linde, then to Rasputin. She takes a step forward, facing him in all his horror. Though Rasputin smiles, he cannot betray a hint of surprise despite being tormented by his green henchmen*

Anastasia: I'm not afraid of you.

Nychus: Is that so? Well, you're bravery is futile. There's no escape for you, or Lilya here. You're both now ours. *points the tip of his sword towards Linde's face, scaring her*

Anastasia: Don't you dare hurt her, you creep!

Nychus: Oh, don't worry… I'll let her go… As soon as we make absolutely sure that a certain Romanov Princess REMAINS missing!

Rasputin: Care for a little swim under the ice?

*Smoke shoots from the Reliquary, as cracks race across the bridge like lightning bolts. The bridge creaks and moans hideously. A blast of snow and ice slams into Anastasia like a fist, throwing her backwards as she slides down the side. Rasputin laughs*

Rasputin: Say your prayers, Anastasia! No one can save you!

Dimitri's Voice: Wanna bet?

*Rasputin spins to see Dimitri charging him, smashing him in the face with his fist. Rasputin spins and the Reliquary shoots again, blasting the bridge. Anastasia falls further downward as pieces of the bridge crumble. Dimitri leaps over the side after her, as Rasputin looks over the side. Seeing the boy interfere, Nychus makes a rush to slay the interfering con artist, only to find himself surrounded by not just the Fantasy Adventure Team, but the Trimaxian Adventure Crew as well, all armed and pointing their weapons toward the surrounded Snow Leopard*

Benny: Get away from our friends, you freak!

Isaac: Okay, I know the guy with the beard is Rasputin, but… Who's the guy with the hood?

Loki: *growls, translates* Phantom of the Opera...? The 'Furry' version?

Nychus: *glares menacingly* Ah… So you're the famous Fantasy Adventure Team and your wannabe traveling friends, the Trimaxian Adventure Crew. Consider it an honor to be in the prescience of the greatest Assassin of this world and the hereafter. They call me… Nychus.

Popeye: Sorry, never hoid of ya.

Sunlight: Wait a minute, how do you know about us?

Nychus: *chuckles evilly* Oh, I know more than just your names. We've been watching you for quite some time, actually having your good pal, Lilya, tracked for so many years up to now. I will give my props to the lot of you. For turning my most promising student in the art of murder and stealth… Into a sweet puff-ball… And I HATE cute and fluffy!

Loki: *growls, translates* Get your hands off her, NOW!

Nychus: Your threats mean nothing to me, pussycat. Common fact: There are thousands of ways to kill a target in our line of work, and most of them can be done without ever lifting a claw. I will have the honor of doing so, as punishment for this wretch's deception and betrayal, abandoning me at our hour of glory.

Benny: You're the one with no honor! Killing your own student while she's bound and gagged.

Johnny: Not exactly good form for an "honorable" assassin, I might add.

Nychus: *pause* Good form? Was it good form when she did… *grips his mask* THIS TO ME!? *rips it off*

*The gang are all taken aback and stare in disgust and shock when Nychus mask is torn from his face, revealing his hidden face after so many years. The years of the poison's effect on his face were displayed grotesquely. The poison had not only permanently paralyzed his right side of his face, but over the years the poison actually ate away at his fur and skin leaving nothing but exposed muscle and tissue and nearly completely black. Not only was his entire right half nearly torn apart, but it ate away nearly his entire jaw permanently exposing his fangs, leaving nothing but one half of his left face. His right eye, now a dead eye, hangs limply like a deflated balloon while only his left eye still worked but in a permanent glare towards the group. Almost in a way like "Darkman" in cat form*

Johnny: AAAAHHHH!

Aurora Rose: Good lord!

Isaac: Oh man, that is NASTY!

Nychus: *sighs* Funny thing how poisons work, I completely underestimated the effects. True, when it scratches you, the victim can never feel pain and neither would the organs be of good use. But years and years AND years and it becomes so hard to "feel" you don't realize how much it eats away at you… Until you don't recognize yourself. I "feel" nothing and I've lost just as much… Unable to live, but unable to die either. Now that you've seen what I've become, *raises his sword, preparing to strike Linde* It's time… To return the favor, for good.

Loki: *growls, translates* NO!

*Loki pounces on Nychus before he gets his blade barely an inch from Linde. The Snow Leopard is pounced hard on the ground, his massive sword rolls away and his grip on Linde is loose. As Loki attempts to bite the murderous fiend, Benny sees his chance and pulls Linde to safety*

Logan: Benny, you and your team protect Linde and handle Nychus. *turns to Rasputin, his keyblade ready* We'll deal with Rasputin.

*Meanwhile, Anastasia struggles in Dimitri's grip, the man managing to get a grip on her. Their eyes meet*

Anastasia: Dimitri! If we live through this, remind me to thank you.

Dimitri: You can thank me later.

Rasputin: *stares down at them over the side* How enchanting. Together again for the last time.

*Rasputin fires the reliquary, as a swarm of minions blast Dimitri into the air, higher and higher and right onto the Pegasus statue*

Rasputin: *continued* You'll get a kick out of this!

*The Pegasus springs to life and majestically leaps off it's column with Dimitri on it*

Logan: HEY, UGLY!

*Annoyed, Rasputin turns to see Logan and his entire crew confronting the rotted villain*

Logan: Pick on someone your own size! *pulls back his leg and kicks Rasputin in the family jewels, but nothing happens*

Rasputin: *smiles wickedly and laughs*

Logan: *eyes widen* No…

Rasputin: Pathetic… I'm already dead, you insolent brat!

*He blasts Logan into the air with the power of his reliquary, eventually sending him crashing to the floor. Only this time, the minions that were holding Logan down were different: Instead, it was the spirits of Rothbart and Ratigan, seemingly under Rasputin's control*

Rothbart: *his eyes glowing yellow* Hello, boy…

Ratigan: *his eyes glowing yellow* Did you miss us, Keybearer? We knew you would.

Logan: *eyes widen* No… No! *struggles* Urg! Let go of me, you undead freaks! Let go!

*As the struggle rages on, Linde is freed from her bondages by the Fantasy Adventure Team*

Rae: Linde, are you okay?

Linde: Rae! Oh, thank goodness you came! I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner…

Leo: We can save the apologies for later. Right now, it's time to put that freak out of a job… Permanently.

Logan: *still struggling* Justin! Help Dimitri!

Justin: *sees the giant Pegasus* I'll do what I can!

*Making a run for it, with his sword out of his scabbard, Justin leaps on top of the already bucking Pegasus, attempting to find some way to calm the enraged beast of stone. But with no reigns on this animal's back, Justin knew he had to improvise against this giant figure as Dimitri held on for dear life*

*Down below, Loki is knocked down and sent sliding towards Linde and the others, unable to fight back against Nychus. Nychus charges at the heroes and is about to strike, but his attack is blocked by Benny's primal sword*

Nychus: *grunts* Finally… A worthy challenge!

*Nychus and Benny clash blades with each other, sparks fly in the air, as a seemingly even bout between the two swordsman unfolds. While Benny had the overall strength advantage on his side, Nychus counters with his quick speed and reflexes blocking each of Benny's attacks as if he could calculate all his moves. But while knowing that Benny will eventually wear him off, Nychus performs a desperate maneuver: With one of his feet, he slashes the hind-legs of Benny, who roars in pain from the dirty maneuver. Nychus then leaps and performs a spin kick that sends the wounded beast onto his side*

Linde, Johnny & Rae: Benny!

Leo: *wielding Excalibur* Not to my partner, you don't!

*Leo charges with Excalibur raised above his head, but he misses a slice which Nychus responds with a hand-chop to the back of Leo's neck, knocking him down. Johnny makes a piercing motion with his keyblade, but Nychus nimbly leaps on-top of the blade, flips over his head, and gripping the lion's tail, slams him head-first onto the solid concrete and then with a mighty whirl he hurls him towards Rae, knocking them both off their feet. Xiro and Dagnino rush swinging both fists, with Nychus sliding in between, punching them in the sides, and butting their heads while they reel in pain. Kairel, Bruma, and Panthy simultaneously charge towards the assassin, who thrusts his sword to the ground, leans back and performs a monkey-flip, his legs flipping Bruma and using both hands to flip Kairel and Panthy, at the same time. Teresa lunges with a set of punches, Nychus blocking each attempt with ease, before grabbing her arm, and reels her back in a pose. He then kisses Teresa's forehead in a mocking fashion, before taking her down with a swinging reverse STO knocking Teresa out cold with the others*

*Meanwhile, Bonnie and Isaac are blasting away with their guns towards Rasputin, who has his minions block and grasp every bullet she fires, preventing each one from hitting Rasputin or his precious reliquary. Seeing his friends in a bit of a fix, Popeye knew he had to do something and an idea crosses his head*

Popeye: This calls for a little spinisk!

*Quickly, Popeye pulls a can of spinach from his shirt and pours a huge mouthful into his mouth. Popeye chews for a few seconds, then swallows, as he can feel his massive forearms grow larger as if they were given an extra ten pounds. Popeye then twirls his arms about like a tornado, sucking all of the unfortunate green minions toward him, actually thrown sky-high and fading into the night. While Bonnie and Isaac were pleased, they faced an even greater issue… Their guns were completely out of bullets*

Isaac: Oh, crud! Out of ammo!

Popeye: No worries, I's gots 'em.

Bonnie: Yeah, but who's got Justin?

*Meanwhile, the Pegasus eventually bucked Dimitri and Justin off its back, sending them through the air. The two boys land on the bridge, as Justin helps Dimitri avoids the Pegasus' attacks. The beast rears and neighs, as they struggle to roll away*

Justin: Nice horsey! Good boy!

*Meanwhile, Anya climbs up the bridge. Dimitri glances down to see her*

Anastasia: Dimitri!

Dimitri: Anya, watch out!

*The Pegasus chases Dimitri and Justin until they fall to a ledge. The two fend off the beast with Justin's sword and a piece of metal that Dimitri pulls from the bridge. Anastasia climbs to the edge, sees Dimitri and all her friends struggle to fend off their enemies. Suddenly, Rasputin grabs her*

Linde: *sees Rasputin about to throw Anastasia off the bridge, and rushes to stop him* Leave her alone!

*Suddenly, Nychus jumps in front of Linde, stopping her in her tracks*

Nychus: Uh-uh-uh, my dear. Class is still in session… *points his sword* Time for your final exam.

*At the same time, while trying to reload his gun, Isaac looks to see Nychus confronting Linde, who stands all alone while a majority of his comrades are near down-and-out*

Nychus: Oh, Lilya, Lilya. You don't know how long I've waited for this moment. Years ago, I promised your own mother on her "death-bed" that I would look out for you since you were five years old. I hoped to raise you into a promising Assassin, but still… You had to fight me, questioning my tactics. But tell me: Did you really think you could run from me forever? After everything you've done?

*Linde stares at the monstrous snow leopard with fear, but suddenly remembers Silveress' words from before. She grins angrily at Nychus*

Linde: I'm not going to run anymore. Not from you.

Nychus: *raises an eyebrow* Aren't you afraid?

Linde: *nods* I'm terrified. But if there's one thing mother once told me: If I fear something, I have to stand and face it. I am…who I choose to be. And I choose to fight.

Nychus: *chuckles* Good lass. You're finally acting like a true warrior…

*Nychus swings his sword towards Linde, who holds her arms to block. Suddenly, hidden blades suddenly pop out from her sleeves unexpectedly. Nychus is surprised by this as she pushes the Snow Leopard off him. Linde looks in surprise to see her hidden blades, weapons she hasn't used in a long time. Before her eyes then turn to Nychus, who regains his posture*

Nychus: I'm impressed… First time you caught me off guard. So long as you realize… *gets in a fighting position* I taught you ALL of your moves, so I'll have no more surprises.

Linde: *glares* You taught me to fight and kill… *gets in a fighting position* But you did not teach me "everything".

*The Snow Leopards give a growl and charge down the bridge, their blades clash as sparks fly. Nychus swings his massive blade with intention to kill while Linde uses a fisticuffs style maneuver to block her former master's moves, aiming a swipe or two at Nychus, who dodges. The Snow Leopards are evenly matched and for a while neither had the upper hand, until Linde manages to slice a bit of fur off Nychus' arms, who responds with a hiss. Nychus makes a mighty swing which Linde back-flips to avoid. She then propels herself towards Nychus, who ducks a double-slice from her blades. One mighty swing later and as Linde lifts to block simultaneously, her blades are shocking sliced off in front of her and with his tai,l Nychus sweeps Linde off her feet. Nychus aims his blade towards Linde's neck, holding her where she stands*

Nychus: You haven't lost a step since we've last fought together, Lilya, a shame considering you were my best and only student. *pause* Don't look me like I'm some sort of monster; I'm not the bad guy! I'm just a hired hand doing my job and living up to my expectations, doing what the great Tai Lung would have wanted me to do. Even if I let you live, who would take you in after the many lives you once slain back when you were as big a killer as I was? Pity, all that effort to save those lives and thinking yourself a hero for protecting a naive woman, all for naught as you only bring pain and punishment to those you made to interfere. You wanted to forget? I will ease your pain and end your suffering… *raises his blade* Forever!

Isaac: No! *drops his gun, pulls out his sword and raises it high* RAAAAAHHHHH! *swings down his sword, slicing off Nychus's arm*

Nychus: AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Isaac: Hey, Bacon Face… *holds up Nychus' dismembered arm* Need a hand?

*Nychus turns to where his right arm once was, seeing that it was now only a stub as his claw lays lifelessly on the bridge floor where his blade also lays. Nychus' attentions then turn to Isaac, a look of fiery hatred crosses his eyes. With a mighty roar of anguish, the Snow Leopard lunges with his only arm and extends his claws intending for a killing blow towards the meddling Night Elf*

*Suddenly, Isaac steps aside and Nychus passes him. He tosses away the arm, lifts his sword high into the air and by the time Nychus realized, it was too late*

Nychus: *eyes widen, gasps*

Isaac: See you in hell!

*Swish! A massive swing from Isaac's sword and Nychus' headless body lies in a crumbled mess onto the bridge floor. His disfigured head rolls down the bridge, clattering along the floor, before falling off the edge of the bridge, as Anastasia, still hanging on, looks on as Nychus' head falls towards the frozen lake and crashes through the ice*

Isaac: Heads, you lose. *looks to Benny, Logan and the others* Come on, guys… *pulls out a potion bottle from his coat and pops off the cork* Up and atom! *throws the bottle into the air* Heal!

*The effects of the potion start to flow towards his fallen allies, who feel their strength rejuvenated thanks to the healing powers of Isaac's potion*

Johnny: *leaps back up* Heeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

Logan: *breathes deeply* Much better! *looks to Rothbart and Ratigan* My turn.

Rothbart & Ratigan: *in unison* Uh-oh…

Logan: Brisinger!

*With a blast of fire, the spirits are blasted off Logan's body, fading away like smoke in the sky*

Rothbart & Ratigan: NOOO!

Benny: *rubs his head, turns to Isaac* Nice work, Isaac!

Isaac: Thanks, Benny, but it's not over yet.

Logan: *gets up off the ground* Yeah. *points to Rasputin* We still have beardy to deal with!

Rasputin: Do svidanya, Your Highness!

*Rasputin throws Anastasia down, sending her back over the edge. She struggles to hang on with both hands*

Aurora Rose & Sunlight: Anastasia!

Rasputin: Finally, the last Romanov death! *cackles insanely*

*Rasputin laughs as Anastasia looks side-ward to see another way up. Suddenly, Pooka bites Rasputin's ankle! Rasputin screeches! He turns back to see Anya gone and assumes she has blasts the reliquary over the side for good measure*

Rasputin: Ya, ha, ha!

Justin: NO!

Dimitri: ANYA!

*Justin and Dimitri leap off the bridge after Anastasia, but the Pegasus charges from under the bridge. They grab onto its head and hang on in mid-air as it carries them aloft. Rasputin looks down to see nothing but a cloud of ice and smoke*

Rasputin: Long live the Romanovs!

Anastasia: *steps through the smoke* Right! I couldn't have said it better myself!

*Anastasia lunges at Rasputin, butting him head-on! They fall to the ground and struggle to grasp the Reliquary, which rolls across the bridge. Rasputin grabs Anastasia and kicks her off, sending her tumbling backwards*

Benny: *gasps* The reliquary! *turns to the others* Guys, get the reliquary! It's the source of his powers!

Logan: Already on it!

*The group race towards the reliquary, which Rasputin steadily recovers and once more shoots a stream of minions at the charging group. They find themselves completely surrounded by these little buggers, as they struggle to fight them off*

Dagnino: *grunts* You guys are really starting to bug me!

Johnny: Aah! They're in my hair! They're in my hair!

*Rasputin raises the reliquary, aiming for a death blow to Anastasia. Just then, Linde leaps high in the air, gripping the Reliquary away from his grasp. The minions around the teams dissipate into smoke. Linde lands on the ground, trips and the reliquary falls right at Anastasia's foot, causing the artifact to crack. Rasputin cowers as he can feel his power disappear. Anastasia hears a horse whinny and looks over to see Dimitri lying still, perhaps dead, beneath the crumbling horse as Justin tries to duck the number of falling stones in the sky. Now, Anastasia was furious*

Anastasia: This is for Dimitri! *stomps on the reliquary, further cracking it*

Rasputin: Give it back!

Anastasia: This is for my family! *stomps harder*

Rasputin: I'll tear you to pieces! *grips Anastasia's dress*

Anastasia: And this, this is for you!

Rasputin: No!

Anastasia: Do svidanya!

*Anastasia gives a final stomp onto the reliquary, Rasputin screams as she strikes it once more, as the relic is suddenly smashed into tiny bits*

*KABOOM! The reliquary explodes, causing Anastasia to leap back and the teams to cover their eyes as a green light sprays into Rasputin, among the spirits turning on him were the freed souls of Ratigan and Rothbart. Beginning with his fingers, they course into Rasputin like an electric current, a beacon in the night, and a lighthouse attracting the denizens of hell, who arrive, wings beating him down… Enveloping him… Circling him as he screams*

*Rasputin's skin glows, shimmering in the blackness, until it starts to melt off him and leaving nothing but a rattling, screaming skeleton. The skeleton cracks, unhinges, the skull screaming. The bones fall apart and crumble to dust as the spirits of Ratigan and Rothbart loom over. They turn to the team for no more than a few seconds, smile evilly and dissipate into smoke in the night sky*

Isaac: As Buffy would say… Dusted!

Kairel: Guys! Dimitri!

*Everyone hurries over to Dimitri, who lies there, still as death. Anastasia gently strokes his hair*

Anastasia: Ooh… Oh no… Dimitri…

Justin: I'm sorry… I-I tried to help him, but-

Popeye: You didst ur bests, matey… Lease nows, he can rest in piece.

Logan: I… I never got a chance to thank him… He really was a good person.

*Everyone mourns over the loss of Dimitri, including Pooka, who howls. Suddenly Dimitri groans. Anastasia, upon hearing Dimitri, turns with a gasp and accidentally hits him on reflex*

Dimitri: Ouch!

Anastasia: Dimitri *throws her arms around him, giving him a hug* oh!

Dimitri: Ow, ow, ow, ow…oh no, let go! Easy.

Anastasia: Sorry.

*Dimitri picks himself up, as Anastasia pulls back. Even in pain, he still smiles*

Dimitri: Yeah, I know, I know. All men are babies! *groans*

Xiro: *chuckles* You certainly had us worried for a minute there, pal.

Leo: Thank heavens he's alive.

*Everyone gathers around Dimitri and Anastasia, happy that they're still alive. As Linde smiles upon seeing her friends ok, she suddenly senses Silveress' presence and looks up into the sky. She doesn't see her mother, but her voice echoes across the sky*

Silveress: Well done…my little Lilya.

*Linde smiles as she continues gazing at the sky, knowing that her mother is proud of her for overcoming her fear of Nychus*

Isaac: What is it, Linde?

Linde: *turns to her friends, who have concerned looks* Nothing. Nothing's wrong.

Isaac: *folds his arms a bit* You know… You never said goodbye.

Linde: *looks down* I'm sorry -

*Suddenly, Isaac thrusts his arms around Linde, catching her in mid-sentence and looks in amazement*

Isaac: But by god, it's great that you're back!

*Linde smiles at that statement, returning a hug to Isaac, as the two look in awe at the two. She then looks down to Loki, moves away from Isaac, and leans down towards the Snow Leopard*

Linde: It's great to be with you all again.

Johnny: You were amazing too; how you stood up to that monster.

Benny: That was stellar bravery, Linde.

Anastasia: And you weren't the assassin you thought you were. You were the same Linde I've always known and am proud to call my best friend.

Linde: Oh, thanks, Anastasia. I am the one who chooses to be what I want to be. Nychus and Rasputin could never change that, no matter what they did.

Leo: Well, what do you choose then?

Linde: To be Anastasia's friend and protector, in the same way I have been for ten years.

Aurora Rose: Wonderful decision.

Justin: Yeah… But it seems you're not the only one who's made a strong choice.

Anastasia: Yeah… *to Dimitri* I thought you were going back to St. Peter-

Dimitri: I was.

Anastasia: You didn't take the-

Dimitri: I couldn't.

Anastasia: Why?

Dimitri: Because… I…

*Their lips are about to meet when Pooka barks, the romantic spell is broken. They pull apart to see Pooka with the crown in his mouth. Dimitri takes it and hands it to Anastasia*

Dimitri: They're waiting for you.

Anastasia: *looks at him, then the crown* Hmm…

*At the Grand Palace, a hat box sits opened on a table. For a moment, Marie holds Anastasia's crown before she sets the crown next to it. Sophie cries tears of joy as the Dowager Empress, regal and wise, reads the note that came with it*

Anastasia: *off-screen* Dear Grandmama, wish me luck. We'll be together in Paris again soon. A bientot.

Sophie: *takes the letter and reads it, getting emotional* They've eloped. Isn't it romantic? It's a perfect ending.

Marie: *simply stares out a window towards a distant boat on the Seine* No, it's a perfect beginning.

*On a riverboat, Anya and Dimitri danced together under the evening sky, as Linde dances with Isaac simultaneously, while the Fantasy Adventure Team and the Trimaxian Adventure Crew watch this tender scene with pride. Surprisingly, Linde was dressed in the exact same royal dress as Anastasia, complete with an exact replica of the royal crown. During the dance between Isaac and Linde, Isaac feels a tap on his shoulder and turns. Linde looks down to see it was Loki, who motions for a dance, which Linde obliges, lifting the Snow Leopard onto his hind legs and dancing just as Isaac turned to see and shakes his head at Loki, but with a small smile. Finally, at the most pivotal moment of this enchanted evening, Anastasia and Dimitri kiss as everyone watches. Pooka blushes while Linde, who saw this happen, smiles happily knowing that Anastasia has taken a new step in her life with Dimitri*

Isaac: *looks to Linde, clears his throat* You know, Linde… You look a lot better in that outfit than Anya did.

Linde: *blushes a bit, smiles* You know, I think you're right, Isaac.

Logan: You make it for her, Rae?

Rae: *shrugs her shoulders* You know what they say, Logan. Ask and ye shall receive.

Johnny: *turns to Leo* You know, Leo? We practically have the Princess Anastasia under a beautiful moonlit sky. Wouldn't that go well for the movie?

Leo: Yes, Johnny, it would make a great scene… I just wish it could be filmed.

Loki: *growls, translates* Oh well…

Benny: *to Linde* You know, you're quite a talented warrior. If you want, we'd like to extend a welcome invitation to the Fantasy Adventure Team and make you an honorary member of our family.

Logan: Or you could even be part of the Trimaxian Adventure Crew. The choice is yours.

Linde: *turns to both leaders* That is such a wonderful offer you're making. And no matter what I'd choose, you'd guys would still be some of the best friends I've ever had in years. I would love to be able to travel with all of you, to see what the rest of the world is like, meet new people, and have one amazing adventure after another. Yes, I would love that… But…

Isaac: You can't leave Anya.

Linde: *sighs, to Isaac* Isaac, you know I've come to really like you. You and Loki, I believe, are my most favorite members of all. But there will always be others who might try to discover if Anastasia is alive and most of them will attempt the same thing Rasputin and Nychus did in the first place. *pause* That's why I have to stay. There's that part of me that feels this is where I belong.

Isaac: I understand.

Linde: *wraps her arms around Isaac* Promise me that you won't forget me.

Isaac: Never in a million years would I ever forget a girl like you.

Linde: *turns to Loki, leans down* I think I'll miss you most of all, Loki. *licks Loki's cheek*

Loki: *growls, translates* And I'll miss you too, Linde. *licks her cheek*

*Linde smiles from that, a few tears fall from her eyes. Only these tears were not of sadness, but of joy. She soon stands up straight, wiping the tears off her eyes, as she faces all two teams, each member giving a look of satisfaction for a great friend they've all come to know*

Teresa: You take care of yourself now, darling. And try to keep out of trouble.

*Linde responds with a smile, as they all embrace their new friend in a warm hug. They extend their hands, Linde shaking them one at a time, acknowledging the many who risked their lives to not only protect her but a historic figure who's secret is a guarantee to be kept safe. As Linde turns around to watch Anastasia and Dimitri dance, the teams have their last moment to watch this tender scene unfold before their very eyes*

Rae: *to Leo* It's always sad when we just made good friends, only to leave them without knowing what happens after.

Leo: *turns to Rae* You know… Something tells me that they're all going to be just fine.

*Up above, Bartok imitates their dancing on the ledge of a building. Suddenly a female bat flies down and joins him. Bartok is shy*

Bartok: Uh, hello, *gets a kiss from the female bat* Wow! I tell you what, wow! *giggles* So long everybody! Ha, ha!

*As Bartok says his line, he pulls the shade down, signifying the end of Anastasia's journey and the new life she soon follows…begins*

*Song 1 - At the Beginning*

Female Singer: *singing* We were strangers  
Starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming  
What we'd have to go through  
Now here we are  
And I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you

Male Singer: *singing* No one told me  
I was going to find you  
Unexpected  
What you did to my heart

Male & Female Singer: *singing* When I lost hope  
You were there to remind me  
This is the start

Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Live is a road  
Now and forever  
Wonderful journey

I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you

Female Singer: *singing* We were strangers  
On a crazy adventure

Male Singer: *singing* Never dreaming  
How our dreams would come true

Male & Female Singer: *singing* Now here we stand  
Unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you

Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Live is a road  
Now and forever  
Wonderful journey

I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you

I knew there was somebody somewhere  
Like me alone in the dark  
Now I know my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Live is a road  
Now and forever  
Wonderful journey

I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you

Life is a road and I wanna keep going  
Love is a river I wanna keep going on…

Female Singer: *singing* Starting out on a journey

Male & Female Singer: *singing* Life is a road and I wanna going  
Love is river I wanna keep flowing  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you

*Song 2 - Journey to the Past*

Female Singer: *singing* Heart don't fail me now,  
Courage don't desert me,  
Don't turn back now that we're here.  
People always say  
Life  
is full of choices,  
No one ever mentions fear.  
Or how the world can seem so vast,  
On a Journey-to the past.

Somewhere down this road,  
I know someone's waiting.  
Years of dreams  
just can't be wrong!  
Arms will open wide,  
I'll be safe and wanted,  
Fin'lly home where I belong.  
Well, starting now, I'm learning fast,  
On this journey-to the past.

Home, love, family.  
There was once a time, I must have had them too.  
Home, love, family.  
I will never be complete  
Until I find you...

One step at a time,  
One hope, then another.  
Who knows where this road may go-  
Back to who I was,  
On to find my future,  
Things my heart still needs to know.  
Yes, let this be a sign!  
Let this road be mine,  
Let it lead me to my past,  
And bring me home...  
At last!

*Song 3 - Once Upon A December*

Female Singer: *singing* Dancing bears  
Painted wings  
Things I almost remember,  
And a song someone sings  
once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm,  
horses prance through a silver storm,  
Figures dancing gracefully,  
across my memory,

Far away, long ago  
things I yern to remember  
and a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

Someone holds me safe and warm,  
horses prance through a silver storm,  
Figures dancing gracefully,  
across my memory,

Far away, long ago  
things I yern to remember  
and a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

The End


	11. Chapter 11

*Space, an empty stretch of blackness and endless night, with the exception of the sparkling stars that shined along the horizon. All seemed silent, barren, empty, that is until two ships pass over the starry skies. One was clearly visible than the other, showing that this was the Arofighter, the Fantasy Adventure Team's alternate mode of transport for time-travel. While as for the other it was the Trimaxian itself, a.k.a. Max, flying side-by-side with it's allies as it's metallic layering seems to camouflage greatly along the skies. Both teams had since left 1920's Russia in search of their next great adventure. Where they were going, they didn't know for sure*

*Inside the Arofighter, as the whole crew is settled in for the maiden voyage, Leo couldn't help but contemplate the series of events that had transpired in the past few days. He holds the film containing the supposed evidence of Anastasia's survival, as many things cross his mind*

Leo: You know…it's sad, really. We made the greatest discovery in the history of our planet…and no one else is going to be around to believe us.

Talon: Perhaps it is better that no one else knows about what truly happened, son.

Maggie: Talon's right, dear. It seems that for the good of our dear friend and to ensure that she can live her remaining years to absolute fullest, some things are just worth sacrificing.

Claw: *nods silently in agreement*

Tye: So…what happens now?

Palladon: The one thing we can do, my friend. This footage shall have no place amongst the public, for there are still those not ready to accept the truth. The mystery of the Grand Duchess Anastasia will stay as it is and her secret shall remain ours.

Xiro: Sure wish you guys had been there. That final battle… Whew! Talk about hectic!

Teresa: Course, it weren't all too bad. In the end, we made many a good friend along the way.

Rae: I even made a dress for one of them, along with a matching crown!

Benny: Yes, we shall never forget all the good times we had back there. But now, it's over and now it's time for us to seek our next place to visit.

Johnny: That does remind me, where are we off to anyway?

Tye: Who knows, Johnny? Wherever we decide to- Huh? *looks at the radar* Hey, guys, I'm picking something up on the radar screen.

Kairel: Palladon, can you tell us what it might be?

Palladon: I can't say for sure, Kairel. But whatever it is, it's steadily coming closer. *turns on the radio* Arofighter to Trimaxian, do you read me, Logan?

Logan: *over the radio* Logan speaking. Are you guys picking up some large activity on your end as well?

Palladon: Affirmative. Appears to be a ship of some kind.

Maggie: *looks at the radar screen* Looks awfully small to be a ship, Palladon.

Tye: *checks the reading* She's actually right. Judging by the data input, it would appear that this vessel doesn't seem big enough to fit more than a few people.

Palladon: An escape vessel, then.

Logan: *over the radio* It can't be… *pause* Palladon, I think you should see this. Do you have a visual?

Palladon: *types some commands* I'm already setting a visual up. It should be on right about… *pushes the last button* Now.

*Eventually, Palladon is given a visual of the apparent escape vessel prominently displayed on the screen. It appeared to be a white, triangular ship of sorts with the letters "EJ" on top. Six sets of black windows were up front and twin thruster boosters could be seen from the back. Judging by the ships appearance, it seemed that the ship was just drifting in space as if it hasn't been running for quite a long time. It was only then, upon looking long enough that a faint memory came back to Palladon, who stared in shock*

Palladon: Oh my…

Benny: Palladon…what is that?

Palladon: The Narcissus…

Rae: *pause* I don't believe it…

*Onboard the Trimaxian, as the whole crew looks and attempts to see what was up with the ship on screen, Logan looks determined and shocked by the very ship he sees. Logan had thought he would never see this vessel again, not after the last time he had seen it. But then, the memories started to return: Painful memories, the lost of many lives, the event that cost him his first team, the nightmares he hoped would end after nearly a year. Suddenly, the past came back to haunt him and he suddenly came to realize what he was staring at. For inside that ship, would be a very familiar figure from a long time ago*

Logan: *pause* Ripley.

*Fade to black*

i'm back, BITCHES!


End file.
